From 2012 to 1912
by MX5
Summary: Leah Brun, Izzy Frost, and Artie Webber are transported back in time and board the Titanic. Rated T for teen because of swearing, toilet humor, and some partial nudity (mooning). Artie stirs up trouble with his devil-may-care attitude and Leah finds love. -How about some reviews? Flamers will be laughed at.
1. Chapter 1

2012 to 1912

A/N: So I finally ventured in to make my own time travel Titanic fic! I saw so many putting their own spins on it and I just had to throw my own into the fray.

April 11, 1912

"Um, this might be a little nasty sounding, but where the hell are we?" a girl about 18 years old sat up. She had raven black hair and bright blue eyes. Dressed in unfamiliar garb, she wondered what kind of costume party her boyfriend had brought her on. Standing up, she dusted off the long brown skirt and turned to see herself in a storefront window. Her hair was done up in a knot and she had on a small brown hat.

"I have no freaking idea." a boy about 6 feet tall stood up as well, finding himself in a 3 piece brown suit and a brown derby on his head. He had piercing blue eyes like the girl but he had brown hair. "Hey, do I look hot in this outfit?" he put a hand in his pocket and turned with a cocky grin on his face.

The girl laughed and socked him in the shoulder. "That's right, Artie. You look so freakin' cute in that outfit!" she did a spin and made the skirts flare out a bit.

"You look cute in that outfit there, Izzy." Artie gave her a sly look.

"Where's Leah?" Izzy turned around to see a lady in a dark blue dress come up to them, dusting off the top of her hat. She had about 3 eagle plumes in it on the left side stitched in place, it was at a diagonal angle so that the feathers didn't stick up straight. Underneath the brim of the hat, warm brown eyes peeked out. Leah had wavy brown hair that was in a knot at the back of her neck and several ringlets framed her face. Dark pink full lips and an aristocratic looking nose complemented her features. She picked up a drawstring purse that dangled from her left wrist and rooted around inside it.

"If I'm not mistaken, we've gone back in time." Leah had a loud and lively voice just like her two friends. She was older than the two other people, about 30 years old.

"Ya think?" Artie stuck out his round chin playfully, teasing his friend.

Izzy punched him in the arm lightly, grinning. "Don't be stupid!"

"Thanks, Iz." Leah looked over at Artie. "I'm glad she's your girlfriend, Art. I don't need to be the one socking you all the time!"

"Oh ha ha," Artie grimaced as Izzy gave him a saucy smile. "you're so in for it!"

"Whatcha gonna do?"

"You'll find out later. Leah, where do we go from here?"

"Why, on the _Titanic_ of course." she showed them 3 first class tickets. "Follow me." she pulled out a dark stained hornbeam walking stick that had a brass topper on it, then led them to the pier.

"She looks so much like the others here," Izzy told Artie as they watched Leah striding purposefully toward the pier. "She belongs in this time period."

"Speaking of which, I hope our cell phones still work." Artie pulled out a Samsung Galaxy 3 while Izzy pulled out an iPhone 4. The two of them fiddled with their phones for a minute as Leah enjoyed the walk, smelling the salty sea air and hearing the waves lapping against the docks. Seagulls screeched and fought amongst themselves in the sky. _The Titanic_ loomed up overhead, 3 of her 4 stacks already smoking and puffing out black clouds. It was immense, intimidating, standing out like a monster that could not be tamed. Momentarily Leah was taken aback and not sure whether she wanted to board or not, but she set her shoulders and boldly walked up the gangplank and handed over the 3 tickets, gesturing to the couple behind her. "These two monkeys are with me."

"Pleasure." Lightoller took their tickets. "Second officer Charles Lightoller, chief officer Henry Wilde." Wilde was a tall bloke with somber blue eyes and a waxed mustache. Lightoller had a lively look in his eyes, a hint of mischief about him, and a great smile. She shook hands with both of them, not noticing Wilde's intent glance at her.

"Likewise. Leah Brun. This is Artemis 'Artie' Webber, and Isobel 'Izzy' Frost." the aforementioned Artie and Izzy shook hands with the officers, stashing their phones in their pockets. Leah shot them a look meaning behave as they looked at her with a grinning expression, yet a hint of mischief in their eyes belied what they were thinking.

"Allow me to show you to your rooms, ma'am." a steward bowed and showed them the way from the first class entrance into the superstructure of the ship as a steam whistle sounded loudly, making Artie and Izzy jump.

Leah, however, was enchanted with the opulence of the public spaces. Any photos of the ship 100 years from then were all in black and white and didn't really do the ship any justice. She noted mahogany and dark oak paneling with golden colored accents, decorative wall sconces every few feet, and ornate paintings hanging everywhere she could see. Leah looked up and saw one of the beaded light fixtures that she last remembered seeing in one of Robert Ballard's photos from his 1986 undersea expedition to the wreck of the ship. There wasn't any marble pillars or flooring, but Leah did not think that mattered much. She could see her own face in the pillars as she passed by.

"What is that, a dead skunk wrapped around that lady's shoulders?" Artie waved his hand in front of his face like he was waving off a rancid smell. "Woooo-eee!"

"Behave!" Izzy tried to hide her laugh, but her boyfriend knew her far too well for that. The steward led them into the elevators, which reminded Artie of a gilded cage. The outer gates were brass, but the inner ones were wrought-iron. Leah stood to one side as Izzy and Artie came in. The elevator chugged to life as Artie pursed his lips and let out a very high-pitched farting sound, making Izzy smirk and even Leah cracked a small grin.

One of Leah's weaknesses was a penchant for toilet humor. She liked farting and belching, and often times Artie would make those sounds to publicly embarrass her. Izzy tolerated it to some degree, though if she was wound up, she would contribute to the noisemaking. Artie turned to look at Leah and she was biting down on her lips, trying to hide the grin. She met her friend's glance and gave him a look that clearly said stop-or-I'll-murder-you-later. Artie pretended ignorance and waved gaily with a big smile on his face.

Walking towards their rooms, Artie pulled out his phone and keyed in a text to Leah, hitting send and putting it back in his pocket before anyone noticed. A noise like a velociraptor exploded from Leah's pocket at high volume, even startling Izzy and Artie. Leah jumped as the steward jumped in surprise.

"What the devil was that?!" he unlocked the door and let them in after taking a moment. The ladies filed in and then Artie did so, sniggering openly. Leah shot him a death glare as the sea trunks came in. Izzy directed the stewards on where to put the trunks and other objects as Leah pulled out her phone, dialed the ring volume down, then sent a text to Artie with a slight smirk on her face.

"Nothing, sir. My stomach makes that kind of noise when I'm hungry." she made an excuse as Artie checked out the baths down the hall. Izzy looked out the window and saw the ship was leaving the pier amid all the cheering and waving. She smiled, thinking of the scene in _Titanic_ where it departed, and thought that it looked very like the real thing which was now happening.

"What the hell!" Artie jumped as a long farting noise issued from the phone in his pocket. "Did you do that, Leah?"

She had just shut the door behind the steward. "Nope." a sly grin on her face, she turned to look at the electric fireplace. Artie checked the text message from Leah, which simply read ASS.

"Why thanks for noticing!" he said with glee, turning Leah around and waving his rear at her. "You like it, don't deny it!"

"Oh, really appropriate!" she smacked him lightly up the top of his head. "Grow up!"

"I'm 18!"

"Only in your head!" she laughed as she went into her bedroom, taking out the articles of clothing and hanging them up. "It's a grab bag of Edwardian garb in here. I want my jeans!"

"Me too!" Izzy moaned. "I hate dresses and heels!" Leah pulled out her books, several of which were piano sheet music, and stacked them up on the dresser. She looked around the room one more time and admired the emerald teardrop earrings she just realized she was wearing. They didn't match her outfit but they added a little extra color. Deciding to keep them in, she went into the living room where Artie was sprawled on the couch.

"Go unpack, you." she scolded. "I'm heading out on deck."

"Shouldn't we be careful or something? Like Back to the Future?" Izzy pulled off her blouse, revealing a corset, causing Artie to growl at her suggestively.

"Perv!"

"Nah. I wouldn't worry about that." Leah told them. "We're here to have fun and I doubt we're changing history at all. They'll write us off as really weird people and that's it."

"I like that idea." Izzy smirked. "Can I come up on deck with you?"

"Sure. Coming, Artie?"

"Nah. I'll chill out in here for awhile." Artie picked up and blue and gold gilt book and thumbed through it lazily. Leah and Izzy glanced at each other with their mouths open.

"Artie READING?! Wow!" Izzy mocked as they left, dodging a flying pillow.

Up near the stern deck, they saw a redhead in a lace gown with a green undershirt. "That must be Rose." Izzy remarked as they leaned against the railing. Sure enough, Hockley came over to her and said something, then she left. "Poor thing looks so unhappy."

"I would not be happy with that jackass." they watched two stewards come down the decks with a handful of dog leashes each. Leah smirked, sent a text to Izzy, whose notification ringtone was a high pitched whistle. The dogs heard it and started barking, pulling at the handlers mightily. Leah and Izzy laughed until tears nearly fell from their eyes.

One of the dogs, an Airedale, broke loose and dashed towards Leah. Before the dog could react, she had knelt down and snatched up the leash as soon as it passed her by. Izzy gave her a standing ovation as Leah bowed and they walked the dog back down to the hapless steward.

"Thank you, miss," the man was flushed and worried-looking. Izzy guessed that he was a newbie at working with dogs, maybe afraid of them on some level. "Mr. and Mrs. Astor will thank you greatly, I'm sure."

"I only want them to have the pleasure of their dog's company," Leah said eloquently. "I didn't bring my dog but I know canine love." Izzy smirked and poked at her friend's ribcage, knowing that Leah was never so formal. Leah ignored her as she nodded at the steward and walked away, forcing her friend to come with her.

"Where should we head now?"

"Don't know rightly," Leah felt like dancing but Artie, though an accomplished dancer like herself, was a bit lazy and they were on the ship to relax. "let's head to the bow."

"Deal." they passed by Jack and Fabrizio who were returning to steerage. The Italian took a shine to Izzy, though she rebuffed him gently.

"We saw dolphins out there by the ship!" Jack raked his hand through his dirty blonde hair as the salty sea spray gently splashed him.

"Don't be silly! They wouldn't be out here in such cold water!" Izzy sat on a capstan as Leah stole a look at the bridge. She mentally saw the bow as it looked in 2012, degraded with wood-boring organisms and caked with rust. Everything was corroded and junky, yet when she opened her eyes, it all looked new. It was an overwhelming feeling to know the ship was headed to her doom, but she couldn't see anything to stop it. Leah knew the ship had to hit the berg and sink so the reformed laws would take place, most of the laws coming from Lightoller himself. He was the practical seaman, though he wasn't on watch at the moment.

"Well Leah, I'm going to lunch. Coming?"

"Sure." the went to the small cafe where they found Artie already there. Several groups were already dining even though they were early for lunch, as it was only 11:30. Izzy and Leah admired the light and airy atmosphere with the decorations and paint done tastefully to accentuate the feeling of vastness the room had.

"What's going on for whores-de-overs?" Leah giggled.

"What?" Izzy looked up from her menu.

"Whores-de-overs. My dad calls hors d'ovures that."

"Your dad is funny."

"Thanks, Art. He is a hysterical guy but he says everything so deadpan so you can't tell if he's joking or not."

"Really?"

"Yes, Iz. He's been like that for as long as I've been around."

"What is this? Cream of chicken?" Artie put on a British accent. "Ooo, we have to have cream of the chicken because we can't sound like Americans; they're too common!" Izzy and Leah started chuckling, giving Artie fuel for his little performance. "Consomme Mirrette? My number one rule is if you can't say it easily, then you shouldn't order it! What's next here? Golden Plover? Oooh, we can't have regular plover because it's just too mediocre as we're British! It has to be golden because that's the only color we looooove!"

People were turning around and staring at them now. Molly Brown, Thomas Andrews, Bruce Ismay, Hockley, and the two Bukaters were equally bemused. Hockley and Ruth looked like the sewer had just backed up their noses while the others were mildly amused. Izzy and Leah tried to look embarrassed but they were giggling too hard to pretend.

"Anything else?" Izzy put her face in her hands as she tried to stifle her giggles.

"Nah, I'm done with that." Artie decided quickly. When the waiter came, he ordered the creamed chicken, Izzy chose roast chicken, and Leah chose salmon. There were a few minutes of comparative silence as they ate.

Izzy and Artie had met only a year ago in high school and Artie had described it as fireworks from the start. Leah envied the both of them, as she'd been devoid of male company for several years. She loved her freedom and was too proud to enter into a relationship for the sake of a relationship. Just because her friends were dating didn't mean that she had to either. The last man she'd dated was too intellectually challenged for her so she broke it off. The man was dumb and dense as a post and Leah didn't see any fun in a relationship where she had to explain things to him constantly. So not being her intellectual equal, she'd stood him up for a date, dumped him, and was very happy that she did.

"Earth to Leah." Izzy smiled at the faraway look in her friend's eyes.

"What?"

"Artie and I are going to the gym and then to the sauna. Coming?"

"No thanks. I am going to hit the library."

"You're on vacation!" Artie stood up as they did, leaving a tip on the table.

"What's your point?" she said with an eyebrow raised. Artie raised his hands in mock surrender.

"OK, some on." they parted ways.

Leah was prone to fits of moodiness sometimes. She walked past the first class dining saloon which was empty, then spied the piano. Opening up the glass doors, she stole into the room and sat down at the piano, cursing when her skirts got stuck on one of the foot pedals. She opened up the right damper by using the right pedal, moved the shelf over the keys up, then folded it back. Both Leah and Izzy were musical prodigies. Izzy was an expert with the flute, Leah with the piano. They would play together and scold Artie when he held his ears and bayed like a dog.

"Let's see if I remember this one." Leah played the opening to Hymn to the Sea by James Horner from the _Titanic_ soundtrack. She played the tune and opened up her mouth, doing the wailing that some female vocalist did on the track. Putting her effort into it, when she reached the end of the song, she was a little taken aback at the silence that greeted her.

"That was amazing, Miss Brun." she turned in surprise.

"Oh, Mr. Wilde is it?" she'd recognize his mustache anywhere. He came up to her and kissed her hand.

"Indeed it is. I didn't know you had such a marvelous voice."

"Thank you, sir." she began another tune. "I'm far too shy about my own voice. I just got caught up in the song and it's like I didn't hear myself."

"I understand that completely. What are you playing now?"

It was Hedwig's theme or the beginning music from Harry Potter. "It's a little tune from where I come from. Very complex." Wilde watched as she rolled her fingers up and down over the notes, the long digits were effortlessly gliding over the keys.

"What sort of surname is Brun anyway?"

"I believe it's Dutch-can't be sure really. I do know my ancestors are Scandinavian on my mother's side."

"Your father's?"

"Mostly English and Irish. And you, Mr. Wilde?" she looked up during a pause in the music and she saw a look in his eye that was similar to the way Artie looked at Izzy. She and Wilde barely knew each other! Wilde had a soft glance in his eye which told her that he was definitely having a crush on her. Why me? I'm too plain and unattractive, she thought.

"I don't know, possibly some Swedish but mostly I'm a Brit first and last." he winked at her. "I have watch at 6 so would you like to join me for supper at 5?"

"Sure. What time is it now?" she glanced up at the clock. It was 4:45 p.m. "Wanna start heading down now then?"

He looked surprised. "Don't you want to dress first?"

"We'll be in the officer's mess or where?" Leah stood up and smoothed out her skirts. Wilde covered up the piano keys and followed her. The stewards and waiters had started to flit around here and there, getting the room ready for the supper service. Leah surreptitiously saw the plate layout and was glad that she wasn't going to dine there, at least not that night.

"If you like we can use the officer's mess. It's very informal."

"Informal is good, Mr. Wilde." she grinned. "I don't like being with a lot of hoity-toity doddering fools who talk bullshit all night. I'd rather be with the seafarers."

"Well you made the right choice then." he opened up the door and ushered her out onto the deck. "It's a bit chilly out here." Wilde put his jacket on Leah's shoulders. "So where are you traveling to then?"

Leah hastily made up a story. "The Bruns, being prominent young upstarts in a gold and zinc mine in Canada, have decided to teach me the business of gold and zinc refining and I volunteered to learn how to cast gold jewelry. My dad got me and my 2 friends tickets so we could come back home. My grandmother on my father's side also owns a store nearby so I will be managing that business as well."

"What is the store's name?"

"Stevens Inc."

"You're related to the Stevens?"

"Indeed I am."

"I've heard so many things about that family," they came up to the door and Wilde opened it for her. "it's really quite something."

The officer's mess was informal, painted in white with a pale hardwood floor. There were several framed black and white photographs of various ships and a few portholes that were cranked open. Two junior officers were playing War, of which Leah recognized as Boxhall and Moody. Wilde pulled back a chair for her and she sat down primly.

After placing their orders with the steward, Wilde told her about his 4 children and the hijinks that they managed to get themselves into all the time. Leah giggled and laughed as he regaled her with tales, then he asked her if she had any children.

"No, I can't have children."

"I'm sorry."

"It's all right. I'm not too fond of them anyway. My relationships don't last."

"Surely there must be someone who is worthy of you?"

"I don't know, Mr. Wilde."

"Henry."

"Henry then. The last man I was involved with was too stupid. How fun is it when you have to keep explaining everything to someone so dense they can't even tie their own shoes?" Leah sighed and ran her finger around the rim of her glass, making a noise.

"I can imagine. There's been nobody else since?"

"Nah. I just don't want drama. The right man will complement me in all the right ways, his strengths will offset my weaknesses, etc."

"Do you have any ideas?"

"He has to have a good sense of humor, laugh at himself, be a good handy man. I like men who work with their hands." Leah eyed Wilde and smiled as she ordered a glass of slightly diluted absinthe. "I love the sea as my grandfather was a sailor. He was pleased sort of that I can swear just like him." Wilde chortled.

After their supper concluded, Leah was introduced to Moody and Boxhall. Wilde walked her back to her suite and paused outside the door, looking down at her.

"Might I have the honor of joining you at breakfast? About 7:30?"

"I think I could get up that early this once." she teased. Wilde laughed and edged his face in nearer to hers.

"Do you mind? Am I going too fast?"

"Not at all." they kissed. "You're very good." Leah said when they parted.

"I'm glad." he kissed her hand. "Goodnight, Leah."

"And you, Henry." she unlocked the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her. A smile played upon her lips as she picked out a book from the stack on her nightstand and read for several hours.

Artie and Izzy spent the day in the sauna, had a late supper in the first class dining saloon, then stumbled into the suite, giddy. Leah looked up in amusement as she turned a page. Izzy kissed Artie and both of them burbled on about what a great supper they had made more interesting for Hockley and the old fart Ruth. The lovebirds talked at once and Leah tried to understand what was being said, but she couldn't.

At about 10 p.m., Leah went to bed and set her alarm on her phone, an HTC Impulse. Dreaming of Wilde, she knew she was lovestruck already.


	2. Chapter 2

April 12, 1912

The next morning, Artie woke up first and decided that before breakfast was served that he'd get up on deck and take in the morning air. Neither one of the girls were awake and he knew they wouldn't get up before 9 a.m. He was the early riser and they were not, funnily enough. He dressed in a pair of chinos and a white shirt along with a vest, ignoring the derby hat nearby, and walked out on deck.

Artie was a funny character, nobody could deny his sense of humor was great, though it did have a tendency to run to juvenile at times. Izzy was forever telling him he should be more mature, and Leah remarked a few times that boys didn't mature until their early twenties if at that. Artie knew that Leah was saying the truth, as she had 4 brothers herself. Izzy had 2 brothers and Artie was an only child. A consequence of such a lonely childhood was that he was used to being the center of attention all the time and liked to be funny. He'd met Leah long before he met Izzy and Leah had gentled him a bit, taking his attitude from rough and pretentious and calming him down a bit to be more thoughtful and mindful of what he said.

Leah's father, Jack, had been strict with her and passed on his own mindset of think first and speak later. He'd also taught her to hold her tongue when she couldn't be pleasant; traits she'd passed on to Artie. Having no children of her own, Leah sometimes wryly remarked that she was raising a teenager.

Standing next to the taffrail, Artie leaned onto it and exhaled, watching the horizon. The teenager remembered the time Leah was in a rather nasty friendship with another girl who ceaselessly took advantage of her good spirit. Artie had been furious and urged Leah several times to leave the other girl alone to stew in her own neglect. It was bad enough the girl took advantage of everyone she knew, then had not one but two children out of wedlock and still didn't reform her ways. Finally then Leah had enough of her friend's dirty dealings. Artie was proud of her for deserting that two-timing girl.

One night while they were at his house, Izzy included, Leah's cell phone rang and she answered it though she didn't recognize the number. Her glance over at Artie told him everything and he mimed flipping off the phone and throwing it out the window, bringing a smile to Leah's face. Izzy and Artie saw the determination creep into their friend's face and they witnessed Leah's total apathy and regret for ever becoming that girl's friend in the first place. Leah raged at the girl they could not see, called her out on all her misdoings, told her never to call again, and she was done.

Leah later said it was like performing an exorcism. She defriended the girl on Facebook and never heard from her again. Artie and Izzy whooped, then they insisted on taking Leah out to supper to celebrate.

"Excuse me," Artie turned around to see a well dressed officer with a mustache looking at him through gentle blue eyes. "are you friends with Miss Leah?"

"Yeah."

"Chief officer Wilde," they shook hands. "she is to breakfast with me and I was wondering if she was up yet?"

"Not that I know of. She's a late sleeper by nature and she likes to be up half the night." Artie grinned. "I'll go roust her out if you like."

"If you would be so kind." Wilde accepted, standing right outside Leah's window on the port side.

Artie walked into Leah's room and snapped up the shades. It was 7 a.m. and she needed to be up. He snapped the lights on and off and made a siren noise but that failed to rouse her. Artie did what his mother liked to do and snatched the pillow out from under her head, taking the blankets in one hand, he yanked them off the bed completely. Leah groaned and buried her face in the pillow.

"Time to get up!" Artie chirped noisily, enjoying torturing her. "Your officer pal won't like it if you're late, will he?"

"Huh?" Leah sat up, her hair tangled and standing almost straight up. Artie pointed and laughed loudly. She grabbed her pillow up and flung it at him. "Get out of here, you ASS!"

"Yikes!" the pillow hit him in the face and he fled, slamming the door.

Leah sighed and got up, throwing the pillows and blankets onto the bed. She tried to go to the vanity, but she tripped over one of the blankets and fell on her butt. Swearing, she arm wrestled her hair into submission, put it into a chignon, used some silver eyeliner on her eyes, then stood up. Leah hated mascara and it weighted her lids down, making her feel sleepy. Rifling through her dresses, she found a sky blue number with long sleeves, a dropped waist, and a simple band of blue beads to wear around her neck.

"How do I look?" she appraised herself in the mirror. The eyeliner really brought out her dark eyes and she put on her gold hoop earrings for a little embellishment.

"Good enough." Leah decided, picking up a white shawl and leaving the suite amid Artie's catcalls. "Bite me!" she called as she shut the door.

While Leah was at breakfast with Wilde and the other officers, Izzy had gotten up and after their breakfast in the dining room, they took a walk around decks. Artie made a turn and accidentally crashed into Cal Hockley with his old bat of a mother in law, Ruth. Rose was nowhere to be seen.

"Excuse me," Artie said politely. "Sorry." Izzy had Artie by the arm and her fingers clenched while she was staring at Cal.

"What do you mean by slamming into me, sir?!" Cal exploded.

"It was a simple little accident, that's all." Artie deliberately left off the sir which enraged Cal.

"How dare you!" Cal spluttered, ignoring Izzy to her consternation.

"It was a simple little thing, so push off!" Artie tried to move away but Cal snared his arm and pulled him back. "Manners, Hockley!"

"You are one to talk about manners!" Cal furiously spat at him. "A steerage boy no doubt! I'll teach you a lesson!" Izzy glanced at Ruth who did nothing to stop him.

"Oh go fuck your girlfriend already, you upperclass twit." Artie put those words out smoothly as his father would have. Cal and Ruth's jaws dropped. Izzy held back a smirk.

"You! Ruth, go and get the Master-at-arms."

"That's right, order her around like you're God or something." Izzy seized her chance. "Always used to having someone cater for you is that it? Never done any real work by the looks of it."

"I don't believe I asked you, miss. Obviously of low breeding like this rapscallion." Cal sneered as Ruth turned to get the Master-at-arms.

"Oi, you old bat!" Artie called her back. "You should get laid, it'd get rid of all your wrinkly saggy old skin!"

"What?!" the old dowager squawked. "Outrageous!"

"You know what's even more outrageous?" Artie said with a wicked smile. They were near the bow and plenty of people were walking on deck. Before Izzy knew what her boyfriend was doing, he had unzipped his pants and bent over, forcing his rear end at Cal and Ruth.

"I'm Cal Hockley, blah blah blah! Do this do that! Blah blah blah!" in a near stellar interpretation of Homer Simpson mooning his boss, Artie wiggled his butt back and forth while Cal gasped and Ruth had to turn away. "Oh, hold on!" he farted very loudly, forcing Izzy to hold back another laugh. Secretly she pulled out her cell phone and recorded what was going on so Leah could see it.

"Whoa, it's a full moon tonight, folks!" Artie bellowed as he waved his ass to several people walking by. "Kiss it!"

"Here comes a cop, Art." Izzy muttered as she hit save on her phone and put it away.

"I think the sea air just slapped my crack!" he stood up and hiked his pants back on again.

"I want your name, you!" Cal spat out.

"Fine! My name is... Kurt Cobain!"

"Yours too, miss!" Ruth added sternly.

"Kim Kardashian!" Izzy grinned widely. They'd never find those names on the passenger manifest.

"Right! I'm going to lodge a complaint right now!" Cal stalked off with Ruth trailing behind.

As soon as they had left, Artie turned to Izzy. "There's no officer here! What gives?"

"Well I had to stop your moron act sometime now, didn't I?" she smiled slyly. "Come on, let's get some lunch."

Leah saw Wilde to his quarters where he turned in, desperate for some sleep. She stayed with him until he fell asleep then she left quietly, shutting the door and glancing around the corridor to make sure nobody saw her.

Luck was not with her however. Boxhall rounded a corner and came up to her directly, offering her a guide out of the maze.

"Have you gotten lost, miss?"

"Indeed I have. I thank you, Mr. Boxhall."

"How do you know my name?" he opened up the door for her. Leah had to think fast as they reached the deck and the fresh sea air greeted them.

"Oh, it's your great ability as a navigator," she said airily. "you've made a reputation for yourself and I heard whispers among the staff here."

"Really?" he sounded doubtful.

"Indeed, sir. I overheard the captain at supper last night saying how your skills are remarkable." that part was true at least.

"I see. Here we are, miss. I hope to see you again." he kissed her hand.

"Charming. Thank you, Mr. Boxhall, truly."

"I can see why Mr. Wilde is enamored with you." Boxhall winked at her and left. Leah closed her mouth as she watched him walk off and she turned to the railing as she heard people walking by and talking. What was she going to do now? Leah didn't like the thought of the sauna; hygenically in 1912 it wouldn't be very good.

A sudden sound from her cell phone made a slight ping. Leah had to change it from velociraptor after Artie's little stunt the day before. She pulled out her phone, facing away from everyone else and saw that Izzy had sent her a video file. She downloaded it and played it. Artie's slightly pixelated buttocks came into a distorted view and the unfortunates who saw it were Cal and Ruth. Sniggering, she watched as Artie started imitating Homer Simpson as he waved his cheeky side to the upperclass twits.

"Glad I wasn't there." as if she needed reminding that Artie wasn't fully mature yet. For that part neither was Izzy. Leah put her phone away and wandered back down to the library where she picked out Dickens and began to read until suppertime. She was meeting Wilde again for supper at 5 and both planned to meet in the officer's quarters where no formalities were necessary.

Izzy went around the ship a few times on her own, as Artie wanted to go and check out the squash court downstairs. She wasn't interested in that kind of sport, so she wandered and gossiped with the gentry, learning of Ben Guggenheim's mistress and other noteables. Relaxing on a deck chair, she inhaled the wonderful refreshing air and picked up a good book to read.

"Excuse me?" Izzy shaded her eyes and looked up. Rose stood there timidly. "Is this seat taken?"

"Not at all. My boyfriend's not around, so go to it." she said warmly.

"Thank you." Rose sat down. "Rose Dewitt-Bukater."

"Isobel Frost. Everyone calls me Izzy."

"Pleasure."

"Likewise."

"So what are you heading to America for?"

"Oh, just for a vacation. We're going up to Canada to speculate on some railways." Izzy had decided last night she was in the railroading business while Leah told her the make believe story she came up with about jewelry and gold refining.

"Must be nice."

"It is! Artie-my boyfriend, my parents treat him like another son. They include him and me in on everything. It's a great feeling to me, to know that I chose my future husband so well."

A pained look came over Rose's face. "Can I confide in you?"

"Of course."

"I believe I chose my husband wrongly. He's fine in public, but in private he can be downright violent."

"Rose, you have to ditch him then. You're too good for him and his abuse. Suppose one day you woke up and found yourself trapped in a hell of a life? Leave him. You should give your life meaning, something to really shoot for. You should stand up as an individual and not let anyone dictate to you."

"I know you're right. I just don't know how. Mother would disown me."

"Well, when's your birthday?"

"May 3rd."

"How old are you?"

"I'm 17."

"So tough it out until May 3rd, when you are your own person. You won't be fettered to your mother anymore and you should live your life the way you want it. You'll be happier that way."

"But my mother..."

"Do you want to live your life for yourself or have your mother live through you?" Izzy asked bluntly. She had to ask herself the same question once and it resulted in an estrangement between them.

"I never thought of it like that."

"You should. Break those chains and you'll be your own person. Be carefree." Izzy reclined back, producing a creak from the deck chair.

"I wish I knew how to do that."

"You'll wake up and think to yourself that you just want to run. Do so but not on this ship."

Rose gave a nervous start as a shadow fell across them. "Hey babe, ready for supper?"

"Of course, Artie." he took her arm and helped her up. "Where to tonight?"

"Artie, this is Rose. Rose, this is Artie Webber."

"Charmed." they shook hands.

"Pleasure."

"So hot stuff, where do we go tonight?"

"Cafe Parisienne. I'd like a little French fare." she demanded, leading him down the deck.

"No snails this time!" Artie pretended to gag and winked at Rose, who tried not to laugh.

At the appointed time, Wilde met Leah for supper. He gave her a welcoming kiss, opened up the door and gestured grandly to her. She was pleased to notice that the officer's mess had a piano in one corner but nobody was playing it. Wilde winked at her and she went over, sitting down at it. Murdoch, Boxhall and Moody came in as well, then all went over to see her fingers flying on the piano keys.

It was the Charlie Brown theme song and Leah breezed through it effortlessly. She turned and saw 4 officers applauding her, making her blush.

"Thank you, gentlemen." they transferred to their table and were duly served by a steward. Light conversation flew as Wilde remarked that he wanted a beer to wash down supper but there was none to be had on board the ship. Leah knew of a small stash she had hidden in her closet and extended an invitation to him to come and try some later on.

As Lowe walked in, Leah watched him out of the corner of her eye, pretending indifference. She always had been attracted to Lowe, even going out to visit his grave a few times when she had been in England.

Sitting back as the supper ended, she and Wilde both stood up and walked on deck for a few minutes until he had to get to bed. Leah gave him a quiet kiss goodnight and an invitation to come back later for a nightcap if he so desired.

"Well, I'll come to find you when I'm well rested," he winked slyly. "I'll give you a better chance when I'm rested up and ready for whatever might come."

"Well, I do love a challenge," Leah teased back as she opened up the door to her suite. "stop on by anytime." Wilde looked at her with a slightly randy look in his eyes. "You know, I think I will challenge you very much tomorrow. You'll be begging for my mercy."

"I love a forward woman." he kissed her hand gallantly and wished her goodnight.

"You rest up. You will need it, trust me." Leah teased him as she opened up the door and went inside. Wilde straightened up, squaring up her shoulders with a smart grin on his face. He didn't care how whirlwind the relationship was and he knew he might not see her again after the voyage, so he was going to take all she had to offer.

Izzy and Artie were both out and about, gallavanting and probably stirring up more trouble. Leah picked up a beer bottle out of her steamer trunk, turned on the electric fireplace, then sat down on one of the couches. She opened up the bottle of beer and took a sip, wincing a bit as the hops touched her tongue. It was a bit sour, but she liked it very much.

Gazing into the fire, she remembered the day that she went out to the churchyard Lowe was buried in.

Leah had won a contest to be part of the Top Gear VIP contestant week in Dunsfold. She'd had a free day, so she went up to Deganwy and found the churchyard. Leah had parked her rental car, a Jaguar XJ, in the churchyard parking lot near the church. It was a beautiful day and there was no cloud in the sky. The XJ was a convertible and she'd left the top down to get all the sun she could. The Jag was a nice car, but she preferred her little 2 door Mazda a lot better.

Getting out of the car, she slammed the door shut and pulled out a Toshiba camera. Taking pictures of the church, she moved on to the graveyard spread in every direction. One of her hobbies was to research funeral symbolism and she had a real passion for Greek architecture. Before she knew it, she spotted triglyphs and metopes, crosses with trefoils, and several stone urns perched on top of flat tombstones or obelisk monuments.

Wandering into the churchyard, she snapped a picture of an Irish Celtic cross with the Celtic knot intricately carved into it. Leah touched it and ran her fingers along the design. The cross had a hood on top of it and she snapped a picture. Leah observed many weeping willow carvings, which were very popular in the Victorian era, several hands pointing up or down, lambs and little shoes for children's graves. Not having any children herself, Leah did not relate to other women who did have families of their own. Some of the epitaphs were very sad and she couldn't bring herself to read them.

Her sneakers crunched dully under the flagstone pathway as she wandered further into the churchyard. There were a few Victorian Gothic mausoleums which she took pictures of. She saw several broken flower buds, indicating a young child's death, and a truly detailed carving of an anchor, which meant navy, merchant mariner, or a steadfast faith on God.

It wasn't very long before she came across Lowe and his wife Nellie's grave. It was simply done with an epitaph apiece, no mention of any ships he had served on, etc. Leah snapped a few pictures and knelt down beside the grave, running her hands over the slightly pitted surface of the granite. Taking two small carnations out of her pocket, she put them reverently in the grave bed at the foot of the book shape. A gentle wind blew by, rustling her long dark blue peasant skirt. Leah pulled at her sleeveless denim shirt a bit, unbuttoning the pocket and looking at her cell phone as it buzzed. She ignored the call and put the phone away.

A few feet away there was a fence overlooking part of Colwyn bay. Leah gave the grave a smile and with a last reverent touch to the stone, imagining that Lowe and his wife felt it wherever they were, she got up and went over to the fence.

Her phone rang and instead of answering it, she sang along to the ringtone as she pulled it out of her pocket.

"

Where you go I go  
What you see I see  
I know I'd never be me  
Without the security  
Of your loving arms  
Keeping me from harm  
Put your hand in my hand  
And we'll stand

"Let the skyfall  
When it crumbles  
We will stand tall  
Face it all together..." Leah put her phone away and started taking pictures of the bay.

During her photography session, a cold feeling came over her left hand where it was resting on the fence and she shivered. The cold feeling stayed there as she finished up, snapping the lens cap back on the camera. Exhaling slowly with her eyes closed, she sensed it was Lowe himself, telling her something but she didn't know what. Eventually she got the message; he was telling her thanks for visiting him and his wife, they liked the flowers, and they thought she had a beautiful voice. Leah mentally thanked them and Lowe told her he'd kept his eye on her all the years she'd been alive. Something about her drew him to her, he'd thought.

The communication ebbed and the cold feeling of his ghostly hand on hers faded away, though Leah knew he'd always be looking out for her. A feeling like comfort and serenity blossomed and she opened up her eyes. One small tear ran down her right eye, but she wiped it off and didn't think twice about it. Pulling out her MP3 player, she chose a song that she liked and began to sing.

"Life's like a road that you travel on

There's one day here and the next day gone

Sometimes you bend, sometimes you stand

Sometimes you turn your back to the wind.

"There's a world outside every darkened door

Where blues won't haunt you anymore

For the brave are free and lovers soar

Come ride with me to the distant shore  
We won't hesitate to break down the garden gate

There's not much time left today, yeah.."  
"Life is a highway, I wanna ride it

All night long If you're going my way, I wanna drive it

All night long..." Leah hopped in the Jag and revving the engine (and showing off), drifted the car in reverse and made a J turn. She peeled out, making the tires screech in agony, through the gate and onto the main road, feeling that Lowe was watching her and smiling.

"Hey Leah!"

"What?" her eyes snapped open.

Izzy stood by, pulling at her corset. "Would you mind?"

"Sure." she unlaced it and Izzy pulled off the stifling garment.

"What have you been doing all night?"

"All night? What time is it?"

"Almost 1 a.m."

"Wow. I came back here and drank a beer. Guess I fell asleep on the couch." she raked a hand through her hair, making it stand up. Artie came in, pointed, and jeered. Izzy and Leah flipped him off.

"Go to bed, you silly jackanape!" Izzy scolded with a weary smile.

"What's that?"

"Look it up in the dictionary and there'll be a picture of you." Leah snorted as Izzy went to her room, followed by a randy looking Artie.

"Oh no!" Leah groaned. They were going to do it and Leah really wanted peace and quiet. When those two got together, it was anything but! "I'm going to sleep on deck!" she snatched her warmest clothes and a fleece blanket to bundle up in. Artie and Izzy shut and locked their door, giggling. Not wanting to hear it, Leah dashed out into the hall and into the reception area to button up her fleece sweater, long black woollen greatcoat, her cashmere and silk scarf, and her black leather gloves lined with shearling. On deck, she picked out a deck chair and settled down on it, bundling up into the blanket, relaxing back, and falling asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

April 13, 1912

To get ready for the 2 a.m. shift, Wilde got up at 1:30 and got himself ready for work. He attired himself in his uniform, got coffee ready, and was on the deck with 15 minutes to spare. He was walking idly by, missing his children and his late wife, then all his thoughts were monopolized by that bewitching lady, Leah Brun.

Wilde drank his coffee at the taffrail, thinking of Leah and smiling. She had charming brown eyes that he couldn't seem to get enough of, a laugh to warm the coldest heart, and a spirited manner that made him think of her rather as a fairy than an ordinary human. Leah seemed to flit in and out without anyone else really noticing her except him.

The junior officers except Boxhall hadn't met her and were not in the mess hall when she was there. Wilde wondered about that, if there was trouble brewing he'd have to find out sooner or later. He didn't think that Leah would start any trouble, though. Murdoch and Lightoller liked her well enough and Wilde appreciated their interest in her.

It had been quite a day yesterday. The chief officer had to stifle a laugh, remembering that there had been a report of someone mooning the great Caledon Hockley and his mommy-in-law (or future mommy-in-law), he amended. As soon as the miscreant dashed away, Hockley had demanded to see the passenger manifest, looking for a Kurt Cobain, of which they never found.

Wilde shook his head. There was one on every ship, as Captain Haddock liked to say. On one voyage he found a lady who chased officers that were single and he had to tell her off sternly to make sure she understood what he was saying. Another voyage, a few men had gotten drunk on their own stash and were caught peeing off the stern deck late one night. A scandalized old dowager had noticed them and Wilde had to raid their quarters to find the illicit stock of liquor in the closet.

All of his voyages had been eventful in one way or another, whether it be the passengers or the crew, the weather or lack thereof. He turned around in order to go into the bridge when he saw Leah sleeping on deck.

"Leah, time to get up. You don't want to sleep here." he shook her shoulder gently, which produced no reaction. "Leah?"

Wilde picked her up and brought her down to the sick bay on board in a few minutes. He rang for the doctor who came in pronto as Wilde was taking off Leah's outer clothes.

"Sir, I found her on deck, apparently asleep. I can't rouse her."

"Looks like mild hypothermia." Dr. O'Loughlin diagnosed.

"Mild?"

"Yes. She's not bloodless white to the touch, Mr. Wilde. Miss Brun will wake up pretty soon when she's warm enough. Not to worry, she's in good hands here."

"I thank you sir. Let me know when she wakes."

"Of course." the doctor bent over his patient as Wilde went off to his watch.

The rest of the night passed quietly. Wilde supervised the changing of the junior officer watch, noticed that Boxhall didn't look particularly well, but said nothing. The worst thing he could do was mention that an officer was off-color and open up the floor to some potential teasing from his colleagues. He turned and went on inspection parade with the captain, thinking of his nice warm bed and a quick visit to see Leah before he turned in.

At the appointed time, Wilde went off duty and headed to the infirmary. Dr. O'Loughlin took him to Leah, who had a good color and was awake. She was sitting up and leafing through an old magazine when Wilde came in. Upon seeing him, she kissed his cheek and he sat down by her side.

"Am I allowed to be discharged yet?"

"Indeed you are," O'Loughlin signed off on the paperwork. "no sleeping out on deck from now on, eh?" she took the copy of his discharge instructions and left with Wilde.

"You'll be more sensitive to the cold now for a bit," he surmised. "I've seen it all before."

"I'm sensitive to the heat and the cold," Leah muttered. "can't find a happy medium anywhere."

"True." Wilde allowed. He had trouble in the tropics because of the heat and the cold didn't sit well with him either. "There are worse ways to travel, though." Leah laughed, images of camel riding and hiking through below zero snowy weather shot through her head. She giggled and put her hand on Wilde's arm, grinning when he put his hand over hers.

"Right back to your suite, no questions." he clarified, knowing what Leah was thinking. She mock-groaned, then her eyes lit up with an idea. Wilde was almost afraid to ask. He nodded to Moody and Boxhall, who had just come off shift and both looked like they needed some rest. Both junior officers looked at Leah and nodded to her as well, a red flush coming to both cheeks. The chief officer grinned wider, knowing through their blushes that they were attracted to Leah. She was a strong individual who didn't take crap from anyone and given there were not many women like that around, it made her even more attractive to the eye.

"Oh, Henry, I need something else to warm me up." Leah brought him back to his thoughts with a petulant whine. "Don't you want to see?"

"Do I have a choice?" Murdoch walked past him, on his way to relieve Lightoller for half an hour while he had breakfast. There was a similar flush on the senior officer's face as he walked past Wilde and Leah and at that moment, Wilde felt possessive and yet proud of himself. Leah was a diamond in the rough and she was his!

"No you don't. Your quarters. Now." obligingly he lead her to the room he'd been assigned and she sat down on his bed, giving him a come-hither look.

"Are you sure about this?" he hung up his hat. Leah took the hat and put it on her head, putting it at an angle and grinning seductively at Wilde.

"Doff the clothes now," she ordered in a vampy voice. "before I take them off with my teeth."

"Wow." nobody had been so commanding with him before. Wilde didn't exactly know what to do next but Leah sensed he was unsure and took the next step.

"I'm your apprentice and you get to teach me everything that you know," she pretended. "what will you do with me?"

"What?"

"It's called a role-playing game or an RPG. Come on, use me."

Wilde was still drawing a blank so Leah had to be more forward with him. Giving him a few orders of her own, she gave him an enjoyable little fondle, telling him that there was more to come. The light clicked on his head as she told him to be forceful with her, so he slammed her against the wall and started necking, his hands trailing down her shirt, undoing the buttons.

Boxhall and Moody, fresh from their rounds on the ship, walked down the officer's quarters corridor, Moody telling Boxhall that he didn't look very well and to get as much rest as he could. The two paused at Wilde's door, hearing a thump and two muted voices.

"Are you always this commanding?" that was a female voice!

A sound like a pant followed with a male voice speaking. "You bring out the beast in me!"

"Oh, hello, Mr. Beast!"

Moody giggled as they walked on. "Sounds like Wilde's got a snogfest going on in there with that Brun woman."

Boxhall coughed dryly. "She seems to have bewitched us officers. I heard Lightoller and Murdoch say that they wished they'd at least courted with her, and old Lowe is head over heels for her as well. Pitman's the neutral one in this. Wish I was as level headed as he is."

"I never would have figured Harold in for a commanding woman, James." Boxhall opened up his door and paused as Moody unlocked his.

"You'd never find another lady like her in a million years." was all he said. "Get some rest."

"Right."

About an hour later, it was 10 a.m. Murdoch would be taking over the shift and Lightoller would be coming off to grab some hours of sleep. Wilde opened up his eyes and momentarily forgot that Leah was next to him until he rolled over and almost fell off the bed. Grinning to himself, he remembered the last crazy hour almost too vividly for his liking. To sum it up properly, he'd never felt more like a man before. Leah brought out his aggressive side and she did not tell him to hold it back. When he'd asked why, she'd asked him whether he thought she was weak or strong. She'd taken all he'd dished out and more.

Dressing himself, Wilde stared at his image in the washroom. The bags under his eyes were gone and he looked younger. Feeling younger as well, he dressed with a whistle and went back to his room in a fine mood. Lightoller came the other way and looked at Wilde, a little taken aback.

"Sir, you look wonderful this morning."

"Thank you, Charles. I had a really great nap this morning."

Lightoller knew there was more to it but he wasn't going to pry for details. "I'm glad to hear it, sir. Now I'll see if I can get a good nap in myself."

"Of course. Pleasant dreams." Wilde went back into his cabin where Leah was sitting up, the sheet clutched at her bosom to cover herself up. "I like that sheet off you better."

"You would," she got up off the bed and began to dress. "that was absolutely amazing. You have the perfect name."

"Beast?" Wilde put on his hat and looked at Leah comically. She giggled as she stood in her skirt and pulled it up. Fetching her blouse from the back of a chair, Wilde handed it to her, admiring all the curves and contours of her feminine form.

"No. Wilde." she told him. "You were wild."

"Too much for you?"

"God no! Get that smirk off your face!" she laughed, giving him a playful slap in the shoulder. "I love a tall man!"

"I had no idea."

"Here's a secret for you. You were my first." Leah buttoned up her shirt and turned to look at him.

"Really? A lady like you didn't have any other..."

"Prospects?" she supplied. "There was the endless fixing me up with suitors but I kept rejecting them. No, there's never been anyone I would have wanted to do it with before you. You popped my cherry-took away my virginity." she explained, seeing him look confused. Wilde wasn't sure whether that was something to be happy about, but considering the fact she initiated sex, supposed he could be proud of it.

"I'm happy if you are."

"Call it consensual happiness then," she joined hands with him and they walked out on deck. "I wouldn't say no to doing it again either."

"Amen to that one," Wilde smiled as Mr. Andrews led a tour group past. Leah watched the man who built the ship pass by, a merry smile on his face, unheeding of the danger they would all be in 48 hours from now. Andrews was a youthful looking man, blue eyes, brown hair, an Irish brogue accent. He was already married, and Leah suspected he'd been in the same crowd as Boxhall-where the women chased him. The young woman put her hands on the railing, looking out in the distant horizon, knowing what was out there.

"All right, Leah?"

"Yes, Henry," she jumped a little. "what time is it?"

He glanced at his pocket watch. "About 11. What would you like to do now?"

"How about a tour of the ship?" Leah suggested, figuring they could have sex in the Renault at the end of the tour, kinda like Rose and Jack.

"All right. I think that would work." he gave her a wry look, knowing that she was up to something.

"Know me that well already, eh?" Leah took his hand as they went into the interior of the ship.

Izzy and Artie were strolling about the deck, just about to grab lunch at noon, when they saw Rose in a yellow dress with a white sailor collar come up to them. Artie nodded politely as Rose greeted him, then hung back, seeing that they wanted a few minutes of girl time.

"So you were right, Izzy," Rose leaned at the railing. "I met someone last night."

"Oh, who?" Izzy knew perfectly well who it was.

"Jack Dawson. He's an artist, his eyes are of the clearest blue imaginable, and he saved my life." Rose rabbited on about Jack and Izzy let her go for a few minutes as they stood together. Artie went into the gym and smooth-talked the instructor to let him try out the equipment without a ticket.

"He's like the way I want to be," Rose railroaded on. "carefree, moving on whenever he wants."

"He's a hobo, Rose. I see the attraction, but I want you to think first and consider the actions and consequences." Izzy gently reminded her. "The attraction to him and his lifestyle could fizz out in a matter of days or weeks. Really be sure that this is what you want."

"You mean that I should... I know what you mean!" Rose looked annoyed with herself. "It's hard to know what to do-I mean, I have luxury and servants, but I would like to get out there myself and experience life like nobody has!"

"You want to start from the bottom and work you way up. I understand that completely. Life's rewards seem that much better when you earn them yourself. I get the confliction, it means abandoning everyone and everything you are used to for the unknown and it can be scary. Don't do anything you will regret."

"Why can't the other upperclassmen on this ship see things the way you do?" Rose looked at Izzy wistfully as a breeze of cool air wafted past.

Izzy shrugged. "Nobody listens to a weak and simple-minded woman, Rose. Leah and I are part of a new breed."

"Have I met Leah?"

"Not yet. She keeps to herself but you'll know her when you see her." Izzy described Leah and Rose nodded. The call sounded for lunch and they reluctantly stood up. Rose had an idea and looked over to where Artie was standing, waiting for his beloved.

"Would you have lunch with Cal and me?" Izzy stopped walking and appraised Rose. Artie was still on the bad side of Cal and knew that Hockley would be out for his blood. However, Cal had good enough manners in public and Izzy was curious to see how it all played out.

"Sure. I'll get Leah to come as well." behind Rose, Izzy sent a text to her friend.

Wilde led Leah around the ship for half an hour. Leah pretended interest, but she'd read it all in books before. It was something though, to see it all in color and up close in person. She had seen newsreel footage of various parts of the ship and it felt like she could just reach through the screen to the other side.

"Tag! You're it!" Leah smacked him on the arm and took off down Scotland Yard, the crew highway. Wilde tore after her as she went up a set of stairs and ducked into the Master-at-arms's office. The Master-at-arms wasn't there, having been keeping a close eye on steerage to make sure fights weren't breaking out.

"Like a submarine down here." out of the porthole, the water just almost level with it. Leah peered out and saw a vast expanse of water while Wilde shut and locked the door. Both of them were flushed red with running and Wilde saw it was a perfect opportunity for some fun. He took off Leah's coat and draped it over the desk chair, picking her up entirely and sitting her on the desk. He looked at her devilishly and stripped her gloves and scarf off. Leah gave him a smirk with her famous cocked eyebrow, wordlessly daring him to go for it.

The chief officer picked his hat off his head and put it on Leah's as he necked her, fingers automatically going to her blouse and undoing it, her little moans adding to the excitement he felt. Leah stripped him of his officer peacoat and grinned as he flipped up her skirts and moved her legs to where he wanted them. The young woman necked Wilde back as he reached in behind her to lay her down on the desk gently.

"Ready?"

"How could I not be?"

"Here we go!"

Twenty minutes of ecstasy followed.

The pleasure was already done with when Leah received the text from Izzy, telling her to get her butt up to the Cafe Parisienne for lunch and to bring Wilde with her if he was around. She told him as they were buttoning up their shirts and Leah pushed her skirts back down. Unlocking the door, they walked up to the elevators holding hands.

"My friend wants us to meet them for luch. Would you like to?"

"Do we have to dress up?"

"No. We can be informal. Suppertime is the very formal affair." the operator brought them to the requested deck level and they walked out to the cafe.

"I'm up for it."

"Thought you would be." Leah teased him, prompting him to goose her when nobody was looking.

In the cafe, when Cal got sight of Izzy and Artie along with Rose, he sprang up from his chair, red-faced with anger. He made a concentrated effort to control himself as he greeted both of them, ignoring Artie's cheeky grin. Neither had forgotten the spectacle of yesterday and Artie made the decision not to mention it again. He pulled out the chair for Izzy and let her sit down as Leah and Wilde showed up.

Izzy took one look at Leah's face and knew immediately what they had been up to. Leah had a fresh look about her and her manner had been changed as well. Wilde too looked fresher and younger as well.

"Well well. Where have you two been?" Izzy asked as Leah sat down and Cal eyed her then Wilde.

"Mr. Wilde here was giving me a tour of the ship."

"Please, you may call me Henry here." he told her, passing the bread basket. Rose made polite conversation with him, asking him how many years at sea and his most vivid adventures. Wilde pressed Leah's hand under the table and she turned to look at Izzy, who was looking at her with a little grin on her face. Izzy looked at Wilde then at Leah, raising an eyebrow questioningly, wordlessly asking Leah if she had relations with Wilde. Leah grinned widely and wiggled her eyebrows once, meaning yes. Izzy grinned back as Cal took a hold of the conversation and steered it towards himself.

The lunch went fairly well until the desserts were offered. Artie and Wilde were chatting about their summer holidays as Cal looked at Leah, appreciating what he saw. Rose he was marrying for her looks, but she did not bestir in him something primordial, almost caveman. All of his business friends had wives and mistresses and were fortunate enough to keep the two separate and concealed. Cal wondered if Leah would fit the bill for the mistress role. He liked the way she was put together and she had a fire about her that he would not tolerate in a wife.

"And how old are you if I may ask, Leah?" Rose put down her glass.

"I am 29, I will be 30 on the 17th of this month." Leah joined one hand with Wilde underneath the table where nobody could see. Artie and Izzy were doing the same and all the ladies could tell that Artie was getting fed up with Cal's bragging. The young heir of Hockley Steel was oblivious to his company, monopolizing the conversation so it was all about him.

"You should run your business like Andrew Carnegie instead of this slave-driving you're talking about." that slipped out of Izzy before she could stop it, and truthfully she did nothing to stop it. Artie silently agreed and so did Leah with Wilde. They were all working-class people, in fact, they were the slaves to Cal's slave-driving tactics and all were to varying degrees sensitive about it. Izzy had the worst, though, being hounded and treated abusively at one job where she was a maid. Leah and Artie were more fortunate, providing customer service at jobs where they could actually sit down.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You speak of keeping the workers under lock and key, basically. Making them forge steel night and day without a decent wage, Mr. Hockley."

"How do you expect us to make a profit otherwise?" Cal smirked. "Need workers to keep up the steel ingots and slabs."

"Let me translate what you said: How do you expect us to make money off of honest hardworking men's backs while they barely see their families for a wage that wouldn't help feed them? It would be far better to increase wages and shorten hours so more can have work and see their loved ones." Izzy tossed her hair, staring at Cal right in the eye.

"You've never seen the factory where they work! How dare you make such assumptions!" he exclaimed.

"Well, you'll have a strike on your hands before long anyway when you come to power," Izzy casually sipped at her glass, ignoring the awkward silence. "if every tyrant of industry was like you, I'd really hate to see it. Only greed powers your brain."

"No woman can tell me what to do," Cal grumbled. Rose glared at him but he didn't see it. "I'll be having none of this!"

"That's it, run away," Izzy stated blandly. "because that's what you do."

Cal left in a huff and Izzy smiled, the satisfaction of getting under his skin deepening her good mood. Leah pulled her hair off her shoulders and put it into a ponytail. "If he was a grand man like Mr. George Boldt, I wouldn't have a problem with him."

"Do you know Mr. Boldt?" Wilde asked as they stood up to leave. She claimed his arm as the 5 walked out on deck.

"Oh, Lord no. He compromised between two wealthy men, Mr. Astor and I forget who the other one was when they were building a hotel. It's known as the Waldorf-Astoria now. He is great, giving generously to his employees and all that. I'd love to meet him sometime."

"I believe Cal's father knows him," Rose spoke up. "if you'll excuse me, I need to go and find someone."

"Of course. Have a lovely afternoon." they all wished her and she left.

The 4 gossiped for awhile and Wilde found out that Leah was a dancer. "Would you teach me?"

"Oh, I think I can do that. You're on watch at 6, right?"

"Yes madame."

"I can work it out then. You two can go off now and do whatever." Leah dismissed Artie and Izzy.

In the dining saloon they were the only ones there and the dance floor was empty. Leah directed Wilde on how to waltz, do a basic cha-cha, then she began to teach him a simple foxtrot. Foxtrotting was the rage and Wilde had seen professionals do it around the world. It was fascinating to him as Leah directed him on where to place his hands.

His left hand joined her right, his right on her waist, her left hand on his right shoulder, she began directing him. "This is very simple. A man leads typically, so this is the box step. Left, left, right, right. Like a box. Use your left foot to step forward twice as I step back twice... good. Then step forward with your right foot twice as I move back twice. Good! See, left, left, right, right. Then we reverse. I step twice forward on my left which is your right, then on my right which is your left."

It took awhile to train Wilde's mind to the way of the dance. He did step on her feet a number of times and she got irritated, but both persevered and they were able to put together a decent dance.

"Very good, Henry!" they moved together in perfect rhythm. "I think you've got it!"

"I think I do!" he avoided stepping on her foot by a millisecond. "I like to dance now, really."

"Is this where the party is?" Wilde and Leah turned and saw Mr. Andrews, followed by the band filing in.

"Are we the guests of honor?" Andrews blinked. He'd never thought that Wilde would actually joke, as he'd known him from the _Olympic_ as a dour sort of fellow. The Irishman glanced at Leah and guessed she was responsible for his loosening up. "Mr. Andrews, meet Miss Leah Brun."

"Charmed." they shook hands. "Are you related to Eldon Brun who lives in Denmark?"

"No. I'm more closely related to Jack Brun, an engineer," she improvised. "my great grandmother was Joan McDorman."

"Oh! I know of a McDorman general store up in Belfast."

"That would be her. She's a tough old bird to be sure."

"Tough? She died 2 years ago."

Leah thought fast to get herself out of the hole Andrews unwittingly put her in. "Yes, well, I knew her when she was alive and she was very tough and strong."

"Must run in your family then." Andrews smiled. "Will you and Henry here be attending the first class supper?"

"What do you think, Henry?"

"Well, I'd like to see you all dressed up to be sure." he teased. Leah groaned.

"Have you any idea how long it would take to get ready for first class anything?"

"Oh, come on then!" Andrews chimed in. "I would like to see you dressed up as well!" he blushed momentarily, making Leah laugh.

"Oh, fine!" she gave in with a little huff. "I'll see if Izzy can help me."

Wilde gave her a sly wink, suggesting he would be happy to help her as well. Andrews left and the couple walked to her suite she shared with her friends. Opening up the door, she saw Artie and Izzy making out on the couch. Leah took Wilde's hand and pulled him inside, shutting the door.

"What will your friends think?" he whispered.

"Clearly they are not," Leah smirked. "even so, they're happy I'm happy and you could stay the night if you wanted to. Now come and help me get assembled."

"Don't you mean dressed?" Wilde spoke out in his regular voice, causing Izzy's eyes to open and see him walking with Leah.

"No, I mean assembled!"

They walked into her room and as she was shutting the door, she heard Izzy say, "Yeah Leah! Get some hot tail last night?"

"Not just last night!" Leah and Izzy laughed as Artie swore, not liking being interrupted in the middle of the makeout session. Wilde laughed and sat on her bed as Leah pulled out dresses and asked which one he liked the most.

"That one. It'll bring out your eyes." Leah put on an amethyst colored dress and Wilde zipped her up the back. The dress wasn't formfitting even though it looked like it. A light purple sash Wilde tied around her waist, he also put on a silver necklace with a teardrop amethyst centered around her neck. Leah put in amethyst stud earrings, wound her hair up in a knot, curled her bangs slightly across her face, then started on the makeup. She put on silver streak eyeliner, a hint of purple eyeshadow, then turned to Wilde.

"You look amazing." the dress had no sleeves at all but a purple wrap to keep her arms warm. Around the bodice of the dress was black beading, starting thickly on top and tapering off to points on the bottom. Leah put on the wrap and pulled out her black low heeled pumps. Wilde stopped her. "Allow me." he put the shoes on her feet, making her smile broadly.

"Come on now, Henry. We musn't be late." Leah helped him straighten up his uniform.

"I should bring my dress jacket."

"We'll spring by your room and pick it up." she claimed his arm and they walked into the living room.

"Lookin' great!" Artie trumpeted, picking up his pocketwatch. "Iz and I are going to the Verandah cafe for supper. Meet you back here later."

"Shall I give Cal your regards?" Wilde laughed.

Artie grimaced. "That man just brings out the worst in us. Tell him my keister is ready for him anytime." he put his pocket watch in his pocket. "Iz! The tables are going to fill up quickly you know!"

"Oh, hold your horses!"

"That's not what you said last night!" Artie mimed a rim shot.

"She's gonna come out and whale your ass you know," Leah tugged Wilde over to the door. "back later on."

Mr. Andrews insisted that they sit with Hockley, Ruth, Rose, Molly Brown, and Jack Dawson amongst others. Wilde sat on Jack's left hand side, Leah beside Wilde. They smiled and talked with most of the stuffy "old money" crowd and Leah did not like it when Ruth started in on Jack and his livelihood. Wilde noticed her tensing up a bit and took her hand under the table, giving it a squeeze, meaning to be patient.

"Mr. Dawson is joining us from third class. He was of some assistance to my fiancee." Cal clarified.

Leah waited until Rose stopped speaking and then piped up, "What mediums do you use, Mr. Dawson? Acrylic paint? Watercolors?"

"I use plain ol' graphite sticks. You can call me Jack if you like."

"Then you must call me Leah. What are your subjects? Still lives or inanimate objects?"

"I draw people from life. Sometimes they have such problems standing still long enough!" they giggled. "What about you, Leah?"

"I found Miss Brun giving our chief officer Mr. Wilde here a dance lesson about half an hour ago," Andrews broke in. "I was quite impressed."

"Really? Maybe I should solicit some lessons from you before our marriage." Cal winked at Leah and looked at Rose who smiled acidly at him.

"You'd have a hell of a job trying to book me in, Mr. Hockley," Leah took a sip of champagne. "my calendar is full for the next year or so."

Cal had the grace to look disappointed. Leah filled in Gracie and Astor about her fabricated tale of money, gold refining and such. Wilde spoke little at the table except to engage Jack in a conversation about sailboats and tugboats.

"So Mr. Astor, I believe you know George Boldt?" Leah inquired, looking down the table at him.

"Indeed I do. He's a fine man, though gone a bit downhill since his wife died."

"Indeed, sir."

"Have you met him?"

"Yes. I saw his plans for his summer home up in the Thousand Islands in upstate New York."

"Did you now?"

"Yes sir. He had some really great plans-an indoor swimming pool and a bowling alley! A yacht house and the entire place is 5 stories high. When his wife died he halted construction on it and I was so disappointed. I wanted to see it complete."

"Is that so? I'll have to remind George when I see him next. His grandchildren occupy a lot of his time now. They are dear, sweet little children."

"They are," Leah pretended. "I have been to the Thousand Islands and once you are there, you never want to leave. Love at first sight."

"Very much so. Madeleine and I will be going up to look at the properties up for sale." Mr. Astor replied.

The rest of the dinner was painless for Leah and Wilde, though Leah did diffuse Ruth's assault on Jack's life and how he lived it. Wilde secretly agreed when Leah said that though their lives were different, they were both human at heart and to each their own. Everyone seconded what she said and they drank a toast to making it count. Wilde glanced at Leah who smiled at him as she set her glass down. Light banter followed with Molly and Wilde relating amusing stories.

To Leah's disgust, Ismay preened over the ship and its apparent success, congratulated Andrews and bragged about him until Leah was starting to get irritated. She texted under the table to Izzy: Ismay is bragging about Andrews and the work he did on the ship. This pompous ass is dry-humping Andrews and I hate it. Next thing u know, Ismay will marry Andrews.

Wilde was sensing her irritation and asked her to dance. The others clamored for them to do so, eager to see how well Leah had taught her student. She allowed him to take her hand, steer her over to the dance floor, and went in time to the tune the band was playing. Wilde even mastered a few spins and when the song ended, they bowed and left the dance floor. The table erupted in applause and that was the end of supper.

"Ladies, thank you for the pleasure of your company." Ismay and the men except Jack went into the smoking room. Wilde bowed to Leah and kissed her hand.

"Time for me to switch jackets and go on duty." he reminded her. Leah pretended to pout but he saw right through it and giggled.

Jack stood by Leah's side. "Want to come to a party with me and Rose?" he asked in a low voice. Wilde nodded encouragement, then reluctantly left the room.

Cal watched Leah, a look of hunger in his eyes. He approached her and kissed the back of her hand. "Miss Brun, I hope I have the pleasure of seeing you again."

Leah personally thought it would be a cold day in hell before that happened. "Likewise, Mr. Hockley. Hustle along with the rest of your clique before you miss out on the stories of the wonderful Mr. Carnegie and Mr. Boldt. Perhaps you might learn something." he frowned but left to keep up with the rest of the men. Jack nudged Leah, giggling.

After giving Rose a kiss on the hand goodbye, he loitered around the clock with Leah until Rose showed up.

"So want to go to a real party?"

After texting Artie and Izzy to what they were up to, they headed down to the steerage common room where an Irish band was setting up. Unlike the movie, there was no liquor anywhere-alcohol was prohibited on any ship. Leah did not care as she turned around in the melee of the music and dancing, finding herself face to face with Harold Lowe.

"Hello, I don't think I've met you." she extended her hand.

"Harold Lowe." he kissed the back of it gallantly and they turned to the dancers. "Care to cut a rug with me?"

"I'd be delighted." they stepped into the crowd and began to dance.

Two songs later, they paused for a break and Lowe studied her with a look in his dark eyes that she was unable to read. Fearing that he might be coming onto her, Leah remembered that Lowe did not drink at all so she thought she could disgust him by remarking that she wanted a beer.

"Bad luck. Alcohol's not allowed on board."

"Too bad. I'm a moderate drinker and I've never been drunk." she bragged. "I hate not feeling in control."

Lowe looked at her with more respect in his eyes. "Truly?"

"I've seen what overindulgence does and I've sworn I'll never go there."

"You have great self-control."

"Um, thanks?" she questioned with a smile. Lowe chuckled and stood up.

"One more dance before I turn in?"

"I don't see why not." her feet were going to hurt the next morning, but what the hell?

Izzy and Artie spent all their energy on the dance floor with Artie trying to teach her how to move properly. At one point, Izzy looked up and saw Lovejoy peering down into the masses. She wanted to warn Rose but it was too late. She attracted Rose's attention and told her what she had seen and her new friend paled visibly.

"Come on, Rose! We can still enjoy the time we have left right now!" Jack took one of her hands and one of Izzy's. "Let's train!" Artie took Leah's hand who took Fabrizio's, etc, and they wove a very long train in time to the music.

Wilde came off his shift at 8 when Lightoller came on. They discussed any points of interest and Wilde saw Leah out on deck talking to Murdoch. He smiled and touched her shoulder, making Wilde feel a bit jealous as they exchanged words. He walked over to them, acknowledging his subordinate and offering his arm to Leah, who took it with a saucy smile.

"We should chat some more tomorrow, Mr. Murdoch." Leah said goodnight to him and walked on with Wilde.

"I look forward to it." he went to his room.

"You know Leah, I believe that you have all the officers around your fingers."

"Really?"

"Yes. We're all attracted to you. You're so different from everyone else."

"I take it that's good, right?"

"Depends on how you look at it. No really, I'm serious," he added when she looked at him questioningly. "you catch the airs of all officers, even the ones who are married. I'm just glad you picked me instead of Moody or Boxhall."

"That's right. Lowe's engaged if I remember right."

"How do you know?"

"He told me. Lowe came in during the party and did a few dances with me." Wilde said nothing, just continued to walk. "Henry, you have my word as a lady that I will not give myself to anyone but you."

"I know in your heart that you won't. You don't have it in you to cheat." he kissed her lips sweetly.

"Am I being insulted or complimented?" Leah laughed. "Oi am I tired."

"Bedtime then."

"Oh, I don't wanna!"

"Fine, I'll take you to bed myself." under the cover of darkness, Wilde picked up Leah and brought her to the officer's quarters. He put her down as he unlocked his door and then ushered her into his room. Both of them were too tired for any sexual activity and they fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows. Wilde spooned her on her left side and she cozied up against him happily.


	4. Chapter 4

April 14, 1912

Izzy and Artie woke up at 8 a.m., had breakfast brought to them, and Izzy insisted that they go to Sunday church services. Artie whined and moaned, but he acceded to Izzy's request, straightening himself out to be presentable. Captain Smith presided over the service and they sang the Doxology last. Izzy looked but she did not see Leah present, nor that Wilde fellow. Artie and Izzy were nervous, knowing that it was the last day the ship was to see the sunlight and they knew what was going to happen that night.

"Nice service do you think?" Artie asked as they went out on deck. Izzy looked at Andrews departing. If he only knew what his beloved ship was in for...

"What?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind!" Artie waved his hand dismissively. "What do you want to do today?"

"Spend the day in bed."

"All right!"Artie cheered.

"Not exactly like that, doofus. You know what's happening tonight."

"Yeah, well it's women and children thing. How do you expect me to get in a boat?"

"Go to Murdoch's side of the ship, starboard or the right side. He'll let you on if there aren't any women or kids present. I'll get on a boat very surely."

"You damn well better!" Artie teased. "Let's make out in the back of the Renault."

"OK I can handle that." they made for the cargo holds, giggling gleefully.

"Rise and shine, Leah." at 9 a.m. Wilde came into the room with two covered plates which he set on his desk. The smell alone was enough to raise Leah from her slumber and she opened up her long-lashed brown eyes. "You sleep very soundly." Wilde told her. "I got up for my shift and you never even moved."

"I bet." she rubbed her eyes. "So what are we doing today?"

"Well, I want to get at least a few more hours of rest before my 6 p.m. watch. You'll be free today to be with your friends while I catch up on my sleep."

"Last night wasn't restful for you?"

"I had a shift at 2 a.m., Leah," Wilde uncovered a plate and handed it to her. "then inspection parade with the captain which lasts about 2 hours or even longer. I'm beat."

"It's all right. I didn't know you had such a late shift."

"That's the way it is." they gossiped as they had breakfast and then Leah offered to take the plates back to the officer's mess. Wilde agreed, kissing her on the lips and settling in for his nap. Leah left and dropped off the plates with cutlery, then wandered out on the boat deck to watch the horizon for a little while. She went near the port side bridge wing where Murdoch was on duty.

A hand reached around and turned her to face the person. Leah gasped, then relaxed when she saw it was Cal. "Mr. Hockley, how can I help you?"

"More like how can I help you." he stated like it was an obvious fact they were attracted to each other, which they were not.

"I don't follow."

"I think you do. You've been flirting with me since we embarked on the ship."

"You're reading more into my politeness than there is."

"You calling me a liar?"

"Yes."

Cal bit his lip as his features darkened. "Many of my friends have wives and mistresses."

"Like Guggenheim I suppose?"

"Exactly." he looked pleased now.

"You want me to be your mistress then?"

"Now we're getting somewhere."

"No."

"Beg pardon?"

"I will not be anyone's mistress. I'm far too proud for that sort of thing."

"You're lucky I'm taking an interest in you at all!" Cal snarled, taking her by the shoulders. "A mistress is all you can hope to be, for someone your age!"

"I have far better prospects than you can imagine, Mr. Hockley!" Leah wrenched free. "My age is not a determent. Besides, I'm older than you and you don't want an old mistress."

Murdoch had come out to see what was going on and when he saw Leah, he flushed red for a moment. She and Hockley seemed to be having an argument and by the looks of it, Leah was winning. He grinned, as Leah was the type to get the last word and really make it count.

"How old are you?"

"I'm 29, Mr. Hockley. You're about 22 I'm guessing."

"I'm 20."

"There's 10 years between us. That's not mistress territory, I'd be babysitting you." sneering, Leah turned away. Cal looked taken aback and realizing that Leah had completely dismissed him and insulted him to boot, caused him to go into a rage. He took her by the arms and pressed her into the railing, causing her to cry out in pain. Murdoch opened the door and rushed forward.

"How dare you insult me like that!" Cal snapped out. "You should consider yourself lucky-"

"Mr. Hockley!" Murdoch admonished him, coming over. "Let the young lady go!"

"Yeah, let me go!" Cal removed his hands and put his around her throat, squeezing.

"If I can't have you nobody can!" terrified, Leah clawed at him. His eyes clouded over with rage and a kind of numbness, like he wasn't really aware of what he was thinking. A lot of controlling people had that look and it was always scary to see. Murdoch knocked Cal's grip free and he glanced over to see Lightoller arriving for duty a little early. The second officer looked confused at the excitement happening, as Leah was wheezing on the floor and Murdoch had Cal's hands behind his back.

"Mr. Lightoller, see to the lady, will you? I'm taking Mr. Hockley to the Master-at-arms for assault." Murdoch instructed as he yanked Cal away. Lightoller nodded and helped Leah onto a deck chair.

"All right, Miss Leah?" he sat down next to her and rubbed her back in smooth concentric circles. Her hair had fallen down from its chignon and she looked gratefully at Lightoller.

"I will be, Mr. Lightoller."

"Charles."

"Charles. I knew of Hockley's history, though I never thought he'd do that to me." her voice broke and she put her head in her hands. Lightoller soothed her the best he could and Leah raised her head up again, having composed herself the best she could. "He won't get me again."

"That's the spirit!" he encouraged her. "Fear keeps us back."

Leah looked around, her hand on Lightoller's for a moment, then turned to look back at him. "Charles, have you ever been afraid for your life?"

"A few times."

"Can you tell me about them?" knowing the ship was speeding to its doom and she might not make it was unnerving her, especially since this was the last day _Titanic _would ever see again.

"Once I tried to beach a boat at the surf in Grand Bassam off the African coast. The waves there were unlike anything I'd ever seen before. I was goaded by a bully of a captain, the boat capsized, and I was struggling in the water. I fainted and the next thing I remember is I was on the shore."

"Did you just wash up there?"

"No. A myriad of men formed a human chain and pulled me out. They thought I was dead. The men were gone by the time I woke up."

"The captain?"

"Got sacked." Lightoller grinned.

"The other time?"

"I got malaria and it recurred. The remedy was quinine and my fever soared before we got any of the drug. It combatted the disease but not before I became afraid for my life. I was delirious for much of the time." he patted her hand. "Why do you speak of this?"

"I've got a premonition, Charles. This ship is going down."

"Nonsense!"

"Anything that sounds like challenging God like calling this levithan unsinkable I believe is asking for trouble."

"How?"

"Too much confidence in technology, Charles. I've seen repercussions from it and it's not pretty."

Lightoller noticed she looked tired and asked if she had a decent night's sleep. "Not really, Charles. I slept, but it wasn't very restful."

"Well, I'll have Moody here take you to the sick bay and see if the doctor can give you something."

"No thanks, Charles. I'm going to try to sleep later on today after lunchtime." she lied.

"Well all right then. It's almost 1 so you'll want to get lunch quickly."

"Thanks, Charles. You and Will have been a big help." Leah said sincerely. Lightoller pecked her cheek, making her blush.

At lunchtime, Leah ate by herself, burying her nose in a book and engrossing herself in the Dickens novel she'd found earlier. People came and went, Ismay gave her a polite acknowledgement, then Leah put a tip on the table, got up and left. She wandered the ship, looking around, letting her eyes take in the sights that would soon be lost forever. It was almost like being at the ship's funeral in a way, though she didn't want to think about it.

The only thing that would bring her a bit of solace was playing the piano. It soothed her and she found the one in the reception room devoid of a player, so she sat down on the bench. The young lady opened up the right damper so the sound would echo and carry further, she played a tune called Hallelujah.

Tickling the ivories for a few hours was soothing to her and by the time she got up to go get a nap, Leah was feeling more relaxed than she had been. Moody watched her play and applauded her, causing her to jump. He laughed and came over to her, complimenting her skills.

"Would you like to talk a walk with me, Miss Brun?"

"Sure. Leah, please."

"Well Leah, you look a bit depressed. How can I cheer you up?"

"I don't really know."

Moody noticed the book in her hands. "I write myself. Want to be my first critic?"

"I wouldn't criticize, James."

"Even better!" he brought out a folder of his works and handed Leah 3 sheets of paper stapled together in the lefthand corner. They went to the library for a little privacy.

"Brisco," Leah appraised Moody. "South American, Latin country?"

"Yeah. I served on a ship that went down there." he waited while she read.

"Well," Leah put down the snippet of a story on an ottoman. "this is a good start, James. Were you thinking of getting it published?"

"Possibly."

"If you were, you might want to make a character outline first, get a good idea of where your character's strengths and weaknesses lie and how to play off of them..." Moody listened to her and made notes on what she said. Leah drew the classic wave for writing and explained to him setting the tone of the story, introducing the characters, then the gradual ascending of the story up to the climax, then repercussions and ending. Moody looked like he understood where she was coming from and thanked her profusely.

"Would you come to supper with me?"

"It's that time already?"

"It's 5:30."

"Then I'll be glad to." she accepted his arm and he led her up to the officer's mess.

Suppertime came and went with Wilde joining in after he got off watch. He looked exhausted to Leah but he still smiled merrily as Murdoch came in and told them what had happened to Leah that day. All of them turned an angry red and Moody loudly proclaimed that he'd make that son of a bitch Hockley pay for what he did.

"No, gentlemen!" Leah put her hand on Moody and Wilde's arms. "Sit down!" they did so reluctantly, staring at Leah in wonderment. Any other lady would be glad to have 2 men defending her. She leaned closer. "I believe in karma-what goes around comes around. Cal will get his comeuppance without any help from me."

"You seriously believe in that?"

"It helps, it really does."

"I hope you're right."

"Trust me."

Murdoch sat nearby, nursing his tea while Lightoller was on watch above. Leah was a bit like his own wife Ada, both independent and free, while Leah was very much the loudmouth. Ada was from New Zealand, and Leah had a northeastern American accent. He supposed she was from New England, the accent being a bit hard to place. Izzy and Artie spoke with it as well and Murdoch had heard of Artie mooning Hockley on deck and snorted loudly, forgetting where he was.

Everyone looked at him. "What is it, Will?"

"I was remembering a few days ago that a young ruffian waved his naked posterior at Cal Hockley." he sipped his tea with a wide grin on his face. "You know the man, I believe?"

"That's my friend, Artie," Leah started laughing. "this wouldn't be the craziest thing he's ever done, trust me. I think he lives off crazy."

"What has he done?" Moody was now intrigued.

"He likes err... eructations and flatulence."

"Come again?"

"Farts and belches." Moody started chuckling. "For real! I admit that I like them too. We Americans have no class."

"You think we British do?!" Wilde teased. "Try having to share berths with apprentices when just starting out-you hear things you can't unhear!"

Leah let out a belly laugh, something they hadn't heard from her before. "I have 4 brothers and I was raised on belches and farts. Artie likes to make those sounds in public just to embarrass me. Izzy tells him to grow up, but I don't think he can. She and I are like sisters and we try to keep Art in line." Leah fidgeted with her necklace, a golden chain with a star pendant that Izzy had given her. Izzy and Leah were like sisters, each having none of their own.

"Yeah I bet." Murdoch guffawed. "I've heard some real nasty body emissions in my time."

"Oh yes. My brother had a problem with his trouser zipper. He goes into the john and a few minutes later I hear a huge yelp, and he's asking me if there's any bandages in the house."

"What did he do?" Moody was mystified. Wilde and Murdoch glanced at each other, knowing what she was referring to.

"He, uh, got a particular part of his anatomy stuck in the way of the zipper." Leah flushed pink.

Instead of laughter, there were expressions of sympathy all around. Not a word was said which made it even odder.

"What time is it?"

"Almost 7." Murdoch checked his pocket watch. "Going somewhere?"

"I want to try to get a nap in. I didn't sleep so hot last night." Leah would be tempted to go and force the ship to steer into the iceberg, which would have messed up the bow but it would still have been afloat. She didn't want to disturb the natural order of things so she forced herself to stay away from the bridge. Wilde stood up as she did, bidding goodnight to the other officers.

Izzy woke up sometime around 9 p.m., knowing at that time or around that time, Jack was drawing Rose stark naked. Too tightly wound up to sleep again, she dressed and put out her warmest clothes in anticipation. Artie still snored in bed, one foot sticking over the edge of the mattress crazily. Izzy sat at the vanity and combed out her hair, her mind going over the last few days.

To her mind, it was just a matter of time before Leah found someone suited to her. She had bad luck in the past with men, likening them to a pile of useless garbage she had no need for, the guy from New York who just stopped calling altogether, the boy from school who treated her like his personal slave, the one guy at her job who was so wishy-washy about what he wanted that Leah dumped him rather than dealing with the suspense. The guy who was the dumb one, that was the last straw for Leah and she swore off boys in general. Izzy knew that Leah just needed time.

Then last night when Izzy saw Wilde and Leah come iu for lunch, their unspoken conversation said it all. She knew that Leah finally found a man who was worthy of her. Izzy saw by Wilde's glances at Leah that he was head over heels in love with her and she reciprocated. Izzy also knew that they had done the dirty deed by the fresh flush in their cheeks and a little coyness on their parts. The teenager knew from history that Wilde had suffered in the past; she was glad that they had found each other.

Sprawling out on the couch in the living room, Izzy pulled out her iPhone and began to play games, trying to take her mind off of the impending doom.

Wilde was sitting at his desk writing a letter to his children when he felt a jarring motion shake the ship. Leah woke up and hurriedly got dressed, taking Wilde's arm and they both dashed up to the bridge to see what was going on. Wilde was trying to reassure her but Leah was ignoring him completely as she shrugged on her greatcoat and gloves.

They came in time to hear Andrews say the ship was doomed and a stunned silence hung over the crowd of officers sans Lowe in the room. Leah pecked Wilde on the cheek, told him she'd be right back, then went out to Lowe's room. She saw him in bed and before she knew it, she was flipping the lights on and off, going over to him and jostling him awake. He started angrily but stopped when he saw Leah in his room. She told him to get up and get dressed because the ship struck a berg. Lowe hastily did as she ordered and he followed her on deck.

Artie came out of the bedroom finally, looking sleepy and taken aback. Izzy threw his warm clothes at him, demanded he put them on as she got into the greatcoat she had brought with her. Once they were ready, they went into the reception room to be near the action.


	5. Chapter 5

April 15, 1912

12:05 PM

"So what do you think we should do now?" Artie pulled on his gloves and looked at his girlfriend and friend. Izzy shrugged, burrowing deeper into her greatcoat, her breath condensing in the air in front of her. Leah's mind was churning away possibilities and knowing that the real panic for the boats wouldn't come for another hour or so, she watched the officers directing the seaman in uncovering and readying the boats.

"A lot of people don't believe this ship will sink, at least not at first," she thought aloud.

"What?"

"Never mind, Iz," Artie muttered to her. "Leah thinks aloud just like her mom. It's unnerving."

"Oh shut up!" Leah scolded with a smile. "What we need is a reason for the people to come up on deck. Izzy, have you got your flute handy?"

"Yeah, it's in the room."

"Go grab it. Artie, get your dancing shoes on."

"What?"

"The passengers at first believed that there was a party going on," Leah told him. "let's give them one. When are we ever going to get this chance to show off in front of them again?"

She used the right words. Artie loved to show off and he went into the reception room followed by Leah, eager to get inside and away from the hissing of the steam being vented. Leah snagged Murdoch, told him what they were up to, and he promised the officers would be there as well. Smiling bravely, Leah and Artie took off their coats and gloves in the reception room where the other people were lounging about as Izzy came in with her flute.

"What'll it be?" Wallace Hartley came in then with his violin poised, ready to play. Izzy stood beside him and put the flute case on a chair, opening it up. The officers filed in with Captain Smith so he could announce what was going on when they were done.

"Hungarian dance number 3."

Izzy and Artie performed their Argentine tango which won first prize at one of their competitions. Through it all, people were completely agog as they threw themselves into the dance, turning and twisting, lifts were done, and before they knew it, the song was over. There was rolls of applause and a few people even whistled. Wilde looked at Leah with pride as the other officers looked at her, jaws nearly scraping the floor. Talking with Hartley, they agreed on a piece of music so they could do the latest dance of 1912, the waltz.

It was an elegant dance and when they were done with it, they looked to the captain to see if he wanted to make an announcement on the ship's condition. It wasn't a midnight masquerade party that they were introducing; all thought that the captain should say something at least. The officers clearly thought so too, as Wilde was surreptitiously asking Smith what he thought he should do.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this ship has struck an iceberg," Smith announced calmly. "it is too soon to tell how badly damaged the ship is, and I want you out on deck to get into the lifeboats."

"What, no party?" someone called out. Andrews turned around and gave the questioner a dark look as he stood nearby Rose and Cal.

"Unless you consider a potentially dangerous situation a party, no." Smith glared at him. A few of the officers, mainly Lowe and Boxhall, were still incredulous at Leah's dances but they snapped out of their revelry quickly to go out on deck.

"Miss Brun, Mr. Webber and Ms. Frost," Andrews called them back. "you did an admirable job getting people up on deck. I came up here, as one of the maids said you were doing an incredible dance. I thank you all."

"Mr. Andrews." Rose clutched at his coat arm. Leah, Artie, and Izzy said polite thanks and moved off to the side as Rose asked him to tell her the truth.

"The ship will sink." Cal stared in disbelief as Rose's eyes grew wider.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes. In an hour or so. All of this will be at the bottom of the Atlantic. Please tell who you must. I don't want to be responsible for a panic, and get to a boat. Don't wait! You remember what I told you about the boats?"

"Yes. I understand."

"What?" Cal ignored Artie, who was making faces at him behind his back. Andrews gave them a desperate look and went out onto the boat deck where a small crowd had gathered.

The steam had finally been vented properly and Lightoller went up to Captain Smith and asked if he should get the women and children into the boats. Smith nodded and Leah did not need to be near to Lightoller to know what he was going to do next. Wilde looked disgruntled and she knew he had to be. Lightoller had gone over Wilde's head in the chain of command-over his and Murdoch's when you thought of it.

Izzy nudged Rose as she was waiting for her mother to get into the boat. "I know that you're a little confused right now as to what to do."

"What?"

"I heard what happened. Jack was yelling pretty loudly so I heard him quite clearly. Follow your heart, Rose."

"But-"

"No buts! If you don't start taking initiative, you'll die."

Rose processed that as her mother beckoned for her to come into the boat. She hesitated, stared down at her mother and said, "Goodbye, Mother." and began to walk away.

"Rose?!" her mother squawked, dignity and class forgotten. She was just a mother looking for her daughter now and that Izzy could sympathize with-briefly.

Cal grabbed her and repeatedly said "No!" until Rose spat at him and he let go in shock. Artie came up behind Izzy who was secretly rejoicing, and smirked.

"What are you looking at, you little harlot!" Cal lashed out angrily, causing Artie's face to turn into a hardened expression of anger and loathing.

"'Scuse me, I owe you this!" he punched Cal in the face, giving him a black eye. "Now go away if you don't want another one to match!"

"My hero!" Izzy clasped his arm. "Come on, we need to get on Murdoch's boat." Cal stared after them as they walked away over to the starboard side. He quickly lost them in the crowd and stood around in the reception room, leaning against a wooden pillar, trying to gather his mental facilities together again.

"Come on, I want to help Rose!" Izzy pulled at Artie's sleeve.

"No!"

"What?!"

"You've seen the movie! You know how they end up! It's us for ourselves now, not them!"

Izzy felt torn. She had seen the movie a million times and knew what would happen, but she wanted to help and make sure that Jack would live. She was always sniffling by the end of the movie, wishing that Jack had lived and made Rose happy. The cold air bit at their noses as they walked across the bridge and saw Boxhall setting up the rockets to fire at intervals. Murdoch was getting ready to lower his boat down and they could hear him calling for anyone else that wanted to go. Izzy bit her lip, taking in the starry night and her last view of the magnificent ship they'd spent 4 days on, filing it all in her memory.

"Anyone else?" Murdoch allowed them to get on the boat, helping Izzy in and Artie got in after her.

"Mr. Murdoch! Please see that Leah gets away safely!" Izzy begged, her bright blue eyes beseeching the officer. Artie slipped his hand in hers for comfort.

"I will do my best, Ms. Frost." he promised. "Lower away!"

"I hope she'll be all right, Art," Izzy hugged him as they rode down to the water. "I love her like a sister."

"You know Leah. She's a survivor." was all Artie had to say but it did help Izzy. "All the officers love her, I could see it on the dance floor back there. If I know her, she's set on saving them all and I have no idea how she will do that." Izzy did not respond.

1:30 AM

After sending away partially-filled boats, the ship had begun to tilt perilously down, putting weight on the bow. Leah was going over in her mind how she would keep Moody, Murdoch and Wilde in the right side of the lifeboats. Puzzling on that as she helped Wilde with another boat, she suddenly remembered the ship had a stock of chloroform on the D deck crew hospital. Both of the surgeons were out now and the D deck was starting to fill up with water. As she mechanically helped the kids into the boats, she decided to make a break for it and run into the hospital, grab a bottle of chloroform with a rag, and come right back.

"I'll be right back, Henry." she pecked him on the cheek and fled before he could respond. Flying through the bridge area she shouted in passing, "Joseph! Go get in a boat now!" he looked up, puzzled as she threw open the interior door and grabbing the stairway railings, hitched up her skirts and put her legs on the railing so she could slide down the stairs easily. "Always wanted to do that!" she'd seen James Bond do it and always wanted to try it.

"Oh my GOD, THAT'S COLD!" Leah shrieked as she put her legs into the water. The water was coming up higher every minute, so she plunged in and swam, allowing the water to push her the way she needed to go. Struggling in the cold water, she almost passed the hospital, but she grabbed onto the doorknob and pulled herself over to it. It was locked, but a well-placed karate kick splintered the door open enough so she could turn the deadbolt and open up the door the rest of the way.

"Chloroform, give me that stuff." she threw open the cupboard doors, looked at the bottles one by one and started throwing them against the wall if they were not what she needed. Finally she found a smoky brown bottle labeled chloroform, she picked up a wad of sponges from the desk drawer, and left the hospital.

A thought occurred to her that Moody might not be so easy to subdue. She happened by one of the Master-at-arms's offices, snagged a pair of handcuffs, the key, then stuffed them down the front of her blouse easily. Moody had to get away from the ship and live!

The ship gave a terrific lurch as Leah got back onto the bridge. She saw Captain Smith standing by the wheel and took him by the shoulders, giving him a hug.

"Please tell my family I love them."

"I will, sir." nothing she could say would move him from his spot and it would be fruitless to try. Fleeing the bridge, she tracked down Moody and managed to get his attention as the water washed over their ankles. "James!"

"What?!" he turned around and saw Leah soaking wet. "Where have you been? Mr. Wilde's worried sick!"

"Are you going on this boat?" collapsible A was floating now on the water. A few women straddled the sides and got in.

"Not yet."

"You must, James!"

"Not yet!" he said very firmly. "There are others!"

"I didn't want to do this," Leah muttered. She withdrew her own penknife and when Moody's back was turned, cut herself on her left arm. The cry of pain was real as she quickly folded her knife back and tucked it into her coat again. Moody turned towards her and saw her cut bleeding on the deck.

"What happened?!" he barked out, taking her arm. Leah used that moment to snap a cuff on his wrist and attaching it to the iron ring at the bow of the boat. "Have you gone mad, girl?!"

"You!" Leah tossed the key to one of the women. "You're loaded up already! Row away from the ship and as soon as you're away, unlock the officer from his cuff! I did this so he would survive!"

"Yes madame!" the woman took the key and put it in her pocket. "You heard the chief officer's missus! Pull!" Leah flushed dark red, then turned and made for Wilde.

Wilde was lowering the last of the regular boats by the time she caught back up to him. "Leah! Where were you? I thought you were dead!" he gripped her by the shoulders. "Why are you all wet?"

"Henry, are you going away with this boat?"

He looked at her in confusion. "I have to do my duty with the other passengers!"

"So no then. Henry, get on that boat." Leah used a deadly tone of voice he'd never heard from her before. Behind them, the band had to stop playing as the slanting deck got even steeper. He gazed at her in disbelief as she grabbed him by his coat lapels. Wilde gave her a look before he tore himself away from her. Turning, he steadied the boat. Leah snatched a moment to put the chloroform onto the sponge, then she snaked her arm around Wilde's throat and pressed the sponge to his nose. The occupants of the boat gaped at her and she barked out orders for them to take Wilde as he fainted. "I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't love him!" she screamed desperately. A few ladies and a few men took pity on her and stowed the officer on their boat. "He should revive soon! Tell him that I'll be with him shortly on another boat! Lower it away now!"

The two seamen looked amazed but obeyed her.

"Now for Will."

The ship buckled down more and Leah knew it wouldn't be long before the ship started to tilt more and split at her seams. She came across Jack and Rose who were hightailing it to the stern deck but did not stop to talk to them. Getting on top of the officer's quarters, Leah saw Lightoller on the port side and Murdoch was close to her, sawing at the rope with a knife. She pulled out her own knife and snapped the rope quickly, putting the knife away and looking at Murdoch. It took a moment, but he did see her.

"What are you still doing, Leah?" his Scottich lilt warmed her. Murdoch spied the long cut on her arm and gaped. "Who did that to you?"

"Later!" Leah snapped. "Will, this ship's gonna buckle down and we'll be washed clear. Can you swim?"

"Of course I can!" he looked affronted. "What kind of a seaman would I be if I couldn't swim!"

"Good!" she took his hand in an iron grip, ran for the edge of the roof, and jumped into the water. The salt water seared at her wound, but she didn't care. Murdoch surfaced and spat out water. "Come on, let's swim for a boat!"

"Yes ma'am!" Murdoch did not hesitate for a second as he struck out for the boat, making sure that Leah kept up with him. She was glad that in her childhood, her grandfather had given her all the swimming lessons she'd needed and drilled her on safety. He was a former navy man so he knew what he was doing. Once her sailboat had capsized and she had brought herself to safety because of his lessons. Murdoch seemed surprised at her agility, though he had to caution her on not overdoing it.

They were about 100 feet away from the ship when they heard a snapping of guy rigging and panicked, they swam even harder to avoid the funnel falling and the subsequent suction. Boxhall noticed them floundering about in the water and he ordered his crewmen to pull for them.

"Pull them in!" Boxhall barked, though somewhat hoarsely. He fastened his hand around Leah's wrist and pulled her up, followed by Murdoch. Two of the women pulled blankets over them as they looked up at the sight of the funnel falling. Leah recited in her mind that the backwash from the stack cleared the upside down collapsible Lightoller was near, which was little comfort. She liked Lightoller well enough, but that wasn't comforting when she realized several people were crushed and killed by it.

"Oh, God," Leah moaned, settling into an uncomfortable shivering. "I..."

Boxhall recognized the signs of shock coming onto her face and he sat down next to her as he ordered the oarsmen to pull away from the suction of the dying ship. Murdoch put an arm around the Leah, trying to comfort her as well as they watched the ship raise higher up into the night sky.

For a moment, Leah was distracted by a slight vibration in her greatcoat pocket. While everyone else was transfixed by the sight of the ship sinking slowly, the young woman discovered that her cell phone had been wrapped up in about 5 condoms so it survived the trip through the water. The touch screen was still intact and she found a message waiting for her. Artie had texted, making sure she was all right. She replied in the affirmative. Stowing the phone before anyone could notice it, Leah watched as the lights flickered and went out.

Despite seeing the movie countless times, this was the real thing and she was witnessing it in reality now. Nothing could have prepared her for the sight of 1500 people clinging to their lives, praying for rescue or for the end of it all. Nothing was worse than the grim anticipation of events to follow. The ship grunted and groaned, producing several gunshot like sounds and ripping metal along with tearing wood resounded through the night. Murdoch's arm tightened around hers convulsively as they saw the outline of the ship break up and the stern righted itself momentarily. Rumblings drifted across the water to everyone's ears and the last bulkhead blew open, dooming the stern portion of the ship.

"There she goes." Boxhall muttered as the last piece of the _Titanic_ entered her death throes and with a bubbling and rumbling underwater, she disappeared forever. Leah knew that it was about 73 years before anyone would see her ever again.

4:45 AM

"Leah?" Boxhall's voice permeated her thoughts as she lifted up her tired eyelids to see him looking down on her with concern. "Are you all right?"

"I'm so tired..." she mumbled. Murdoch was helping to row the boat towards the _Carpathia_ now, trying to get exercise and keep warm.

"Don't go to sleep," Boxhall warned her. "you might not wake up."

"I won't, Joseph." Leah assured him, watching their slow and steady progress. It wasn't long before they pulled up alongside the ship and boarded it. Leah grasped the ladder and hauled herself up, accepting the assitance of first officer Dean and the second officer Bisset as they guided her over onto the deck. Boxhall and Murdoch followed, knowing that they had to go to the bridge and report to Captain Rostron. Leah insisted on going with them, taking both of their arms and walking with them, continuing to be a pillar of support for them.

Captain Rostron was a man about average size and shape with blue eyes and receding brown hair. He exchanged salutes with Murdoch and Boxhall, sizing up Leah visually.

"Where is the _Titanic_?"

"Gone, sir. She went down at 2:20 this morning." Murdoch reported.

"The captain?"

"He went down with the ship," Leah supplied quietly.

"Did you see him, miss?"

"Ms. Brun. Yes I did. He was firm in going down with the ship, sir."

Rostron sighed. "How many lost?"

"I don't rightly know yet, sir. more than a thousand to be sure, sir."

Rostron was a perceptive man and he saw that neither one of the officers were in any fit state to be answering questions. "All right men, you may go below and get yourselves warmed up. Ms. Brun, stay a moment longer."

Surprised but grateful, Boxhall and Murdoch went down into the first class dining room where the surgeon was awaiting their arrival. Leah straightened up and tried to look alert as Rostron took one of her hands and kissed her knuckles. Aware of the fact that she looked like a drowned rat, Leah wished she was looking better in front of him.

"Are you in a position of any authority?"

"No, sir."

"What happened here?" Rostron took her left arm which Leah had forgotten about. Her wound was open because of the saltwater dousing, the blood was congealed around it, some frozen in mid drip off her lower arm. "How were you injured?"

"Crazy guy with a knife." she hissed in pain, causing Rostron to look up at her. "The falls needed to be cut and I got in the way."

"Bad luck."

"I survived, sir. I believe I am lucky to escape with my life."

"Well put, Ms. Brun. I want you to go below and get seen by our doctor."

"I will be glad to, Captain Rostron." Leah gave him a nod and went down the deck, startled to hear someone crying out her name. She turned and saw Wilde disentangling himself from the helping hands of Dean and Bisset. He ran for her and swept her up in his arms, kissing her repeatedly, tears running down his face freely.

"Leah! I was so scared," he burbled as she moved him away to a private spot. "nobody knew what became of you. One of the women told me that you drugged me."

"I was being rather rash," she admitted. Leah had repeatedly chastised herself for that, fretting that he could be sick from the side effects or worse. Wilde seemed all right, his disposition none the worse for what he'd been through. "do you forgive me, Henry?"

"Forgive?! There's nothing to forgive!" he dismissed the thought in the rush of emotion he felt at seeing Leah alive and standing. "I love you, Leah." he brushed back the hair from her face and kissed her forehead. "You saved me."

A sharp twinge of pain shot through her left arm and she could not repress a slight cry that escaped her. Wilde furrowed his brow in concern as he looked at her injured arm. "What happened to you?"

"Crazy guy with a knife." she said tiredly. "I need to see the doctor." the wound was bleeding again. Before she knew it, Wilde had picked her up completely and gone down below. In the surgeon's quarters, Dr. McGhee looked at Leah's arm and proclaimed that she would need several stitches. Wilde picked up Leah's hand as she lay down on the gurney, watching as the doctor took the bottle of chloroform she had given him and drugged her with it. Leah's vision began to go foggy and Wilde went in and out of focus as the drug took effect. Unheeding of the doctor cleaning her wound now, she slid into a drug-induced sleep.

Izzy and Artie stood on the deck and watched as Lightoller came aboard the ship. He recognized Artie and Izzy then came over, asking if they had seen Leah yet. Both shook their heads but replied that they knew she was on the ship. Murdoch, having cleaned up and borrowed an outfit from a passenger, overheard.

"I'm so glad you're alive, Will!" Lightoller embraced his friend. "The others?"

"Wilde and Boxhall are all right. I heard someone shackled Moody to a boat so he would survive." Izzy hid a smirk, knowing it was Leah. She'd been known to use unconventional means to achieve her ends before. Artie caught her glance and mirrored her smirk.

"Leah is alive, Charles," Lightoller relaxed visibly. "I know Rostron has sent her down below. She has a cut on her left arm and she is getting herself stitched up."

"Good. I want her in one piece."

"She will be." Leah had successfully wormed her way into their hearts, Artie thought. She was an easy person to like, much like her friends. The two accepted an offer of beds and baths, then went below to try to get some sleep themselves.

Captain Rostron walked around the deck a few minutes later and observed the relative stillness in the air. He asked Ismay for any kind of guidance he could get on what to do next, but Ismay was near catatonic with grief and shock at what had happened. Giving up on him, he asked the officers of the Titanic to help out with the passengers and his own overworked officers as well. Pitman and Lightoller went to inspect the boats while Wilde and Murdoch went into the first class section to gather names. Boxhall and Moody went into the second class section to do the same, and Lowe took third class with Bisset.

Artie was leaning on the railing near the bow of the ship when he felt a hand on his shoulder and he started to pull away, thinking that Izzy had awakened from her nap and wanted to see him. Instead he found Cal Hockley with his now friend Ruth Dewitt-Bukater. The businessman had seen better days; his coat was torn in a few places and his hair had fallen from its slicked back position on his head. Ruth looked shattered with grief for her daughter and Artie could have felt pity for her had he not disliked her so much.

"You," Cal sounded exhausted. "have you seen my fiancee Rose?"

Rose would have hell freeze over before she'd come back to this arrogant snot, Artie thought. Deciding to help her out a bit, he replied, "I have seen her."

"You have?" Ruth gasped. "Where is she?"

"I was with Mr. Lowe when he went back and I saw Rose in the field of bodies out there. I wrestled her off the doorframe she was hanging on and she was dead. She sank right down underwater so there's no hope of recovering her body." Artie brushed off some lint from his coat shoulder and looked at Cal.

Instead of challenging Artie, Cal looked at him and cast his eyes downward. Ruth's eyes spilled over and she clutched at Cal's arm tightly. Cal put his hand over hers and lifted his gaze back up to the young man in front of him. In spite of himself, he found that if things were different, he might have actually liked Artie. What Cal lacked in height Artie made up for easily, and a thought flitted across his mind that Artie would be a good bodyguard for him since Lovejoy went down with the ship.

"What is your real name?"

Artie did not hesitate. "Jeremy. Jeremy Clarkson." he hid a smile.

Cal held out his hand and they shook. "Pleasure, Mr. Clarkson. If you are ever in Philadelphia, look me up."

"Thank you." Artie nodded politely to them and walked away.

"So Rose, what will you do now?" Izzy sat down beside her. They had been allocated a room by a person traveling alone, and Artie would have use of that room as well. Once she had been shown in by a steward, Izzy had collapsed on a bed and slept the late morning and afternoon away. The adrenaline had kept her up during the hours of the disaster and she once hoped it was just a bad dream but of course she was wrong. Rose had turned up sometime later and she was in shock over Jack's death and just sat on the bed until Izzy woke up.

Rose sighed. "I don't know just yet."

"What did Jack talk to you about?" Izzy changed into a fresh dress she'd been lent and sat down beside Rose again.

"He talked about riding the rollercoaster at a park in Santa Monica, riding horses into the shallow water, drinking beer..."

"That's in California. Think you'll head out there any time soon?"

Rose shook her head. "I don't know!"

Izzy hugged her sympathetically. "Come on now, just let it all out. Then you can mourn and heal from this disaster."

The two young women spent a few hours together with Izzy consoling Rose on everything she had experienced. Finally, Rose mopped her eyes and looked up at her friend. "Well, I guess this means I start a new chapter."

"What?"

"I end the chapter of Jack and I start a new chapter in the book of my life." Rose squared her shoulders and looked determined. "First off I go to that pier and have some fun. I need it after all of the events of the past few years. I cast off the chains of being the good little first class girl and I will be myself for once!"

"Good for you!"

"The hell with what other people think! I'm going to be a silent picture actress. You wait and see."

"I have no doubt, Rose. Make sure you alter your appearance enough so that nobody recognizes you though."

"Ha! Cal always said that actresses were the devil and he'd never be caught in the theater." Rose stood up and did a spin in her dress, making it stand out a bit. Izzy clasped her hands together and smiled. At that moment, Artie came into the room, smiling at the two ladies.

"Well, I just had an actual civil encounter with that Hockley snob."

"Looking for me, I imagine?" Rose stretched out on her bed.

"Yes. Not to worry, I covered for you." Artie sat on Izzy's bed and pecked her on the cheek.

"What did you say?"

"I told them I was on the boat that went back, saw you, checked and found out that you were dead, and as I pulled you off of the doorframe you were on, you sank down into the water. They know that you can't be discovered and buried now. Cal was actually somewhat nice to me. I guess disaster really does change some people."

Rose guffawed. "Nothing lasts forever, Artie. He'll go right back to his snobby ways, you'll see."

"Well I don't know. He said if I was ever in Philly to look him up."

"Why would he want to do that?" Izzy mock-teased, earning a swat and a kiss from him.

"He wants you to become the new bodyguard," Rose sniggered. "that undertaker went down with the ship and he wants a new man to be his security. I bet you said no."

"I just said thanks and that was it."

"Artie being polite? Well I never! It seems that Leah's lessons might have sunk into your thick head." Izzy dodged another swat and winged him with a pillow.

"How is your friend Leah anyway?"

"I dunno. One of the officers will come and get us or something. We can stroll down later on after supper." Artie got up and offered his arms. "Ladies?"

"Right. Be sure to cover your hair, Rose." Rose twisted it up and put on a hooded cape. They went down to the third class area where nobody looked close at them and they knew Cal would not venture down there now that he had confirmation Rose was dead.

Leah stirred and roused a bit as sound filtered back to her ears. Keeping her eyes closed, she listened to the distinct humming of the engines down below and the soft voices beyond the recovery room's door. A knock sounded and the doctor bade enter.

"Ah, Captain Rostron."

"Yes, doctor. How is everyone?"

"Very well, Captain. A few people were mildly hypothermic, but I've reversed that. Seems I only need to keep one or two people overnight."

"How about that Brun woman? I sent her down here earlier. She had a nasty looking cut on her arm."

"Oh yes. She's been attended to. Right over here, sir." Leah heard a privacy curtain draw back and felt two sets of eyes on her.

"How long ago did you mend her?"

"About 5 hours ago."

"Should she be unconscious this long?"

"I gave her a mild dose of chloroform and that has worn off by now. She's lost a fair amount of blood and she's exhausted as well, sir. That takes time to recover from. She will be fragile for a few days, but she will recover."

"These poor people, doctor." Rostron picked up the blanket and drew it over Leah quietly as the doctor checked the stitches, pleased when there was no reaction.

"I know sir, but it happened and there's no going back."

"Too true. I have some of the first class ladies sharing my cabin and I hope they'll be comfortable enough. Have you checked the Titanic officers?"

"Yes indeed, sir. The fourth officer Boxhall I feel is starting on a bad cold. Time will tell. Otherwise, apart from the open exposure on those boats, they're all fine."

"I'm glad. Let's thank God for small favors then." the door closed and Leah opened her eyes. She was lying on a bed with a gray privacy curtain drawn back so she could see the neighboring bed was unoccupied. The doctor hadn't rebandaged her wound yet so she got a shock seeing it stitched up with crude catgut. Leah felt dizzy from her injury and knew that was because of the bloodloss she had sustained. Trying to sit up wasn't a good idea, as she went lightheaded and nearly fainted. Leah pulled up the woollen blanket Rostron had put over her and she curled up, trying to keep warm.

The door opened and closed again, making her open up her eyes to see who it was. Lightoller stood for a moment as he shut the door, looked around, then made a beeline for her, kissing her on the cheek and sitting down on the edge of her bed.

"Oh thank God you're awake!" Lightoller told her. "Wilde's been in here a few times looking after you and Will's been in as well. We've all been taking names and compiling lists. Everyone's been cooperating so well."

"They've all been through a lot and I'd be surprised if they have the energy to do anything really."

"True." Lightoller allowed. "We need this downtime to process everything." he took her hand and squeezed it.

"So what is going on now?"

"Everyone's at supper. Are you hungry?"

"Ravenous."

"A very good sign. Shall I bring you something?"

"No, I want to walk around a bit."

"Only while I'm here to help you." Lightoller supported her as she sat up and stood up slowly. The last thing she wanted was to black out and embarrass herself in front of him and he didn't seem to care about that. Leah was happy that Lightoller was every bit as conscientous and genuine as historical accounts attributed to him. The officers were all so wonderful to her and Leah didn't feel like she could ever repay them enough. Inwardly she wondered when she would go back to her own time, but she really didn't care at the moment.

"Leah?"

"Yes?" they walked on deck for a few minutes before they found the dining room door and left the boat deck for the heated shelter of the dining room below.

"What are you going to do when you're in New York?"

"I'm going to stick close to you guys."

"And Henry?"

"Well he's an officer isn't he?" they selected a table and sat down. The dining room was furnished nicely and it was a bit conservative, with stucco on the ceiling and wooden maple pillars dotting the room as well. A square of bare hardwood on the floor indicated it was to be used for dancing and a piano sat nearby. The carpet was a dark burgundy and the walls were papered in a dark red as well, making Leah think that they were in a room made for a vampire. Dark walls made one think of closed in spaces and it was distinctly uncomfortable feeling to her.

"True. What are your plans?" several tables were occupied with passengers and waiters were dashing around. Murdoch and Wilde were nowhere to be seen, nor was Lowe, Artie, or Izzy.

"I want to go back to England."

"What about your family business?"

"They'll understand. I just feel like I belong with Henry. Mom always said that when I found true love, I would know it. I know that Henry is it. He's the one for me and I'm delighted that he's survived the night out there on that cold sea."

"Did you have something to do with that? I heard a rumor." Boxhall joined them along with Pitman.

"Yes," she said slyly. "I know you officers and your duty. Admirable as it is, you'd have to know when to say no more and save yourselves. I admit that I handcuffed Moody to the lifeboat so he would survive, I drugged Wilde with chloroform as well. Murdoch was close to being washed overboard where he wouldn't have had a prayer, so I rushed him off the ship as soon as I could."

"I'm glad you did." Lightoller told her with a soft look in his eye. "Will and I have been friends for so many years. It'd be hard to continue on without him."

"I thought about that for a moment at the time." they put their orders in with the waiter and Rostron found them a few minutes later.

"Miss Brun! I'm glad you're up and about."

"Me too." they had a few moments of conversation, then the captain left. Supper was pretty quiet between the 3 and Leah noticed that Boxhall was a bit pale. He'd had a history of illness that she didn't know much about, yet it seemed like one was cropping up.

When supper was over and the crowd had cleared out, Leah found herself getting tired again. Boxhall and Lightoller noticed this and they guided her up to their cabin where there were 4 bunks waiting for them. Boxhall had one and Lightoller had one on the right side, Wilde and Murdoch had one each as well. Wilde had said that Leah could bunk with him while they were on the _Carpathia_ and she was happy to oblige. Lowe, Moody and Pitman were bunking with the _Carpathia'_s officers Dean and Bisset, the latter had room for 2 other people in his room. Leah sat down and took off her shoes, rubbing her feet a bit, glancing around her at the room itself. It was sparse, but nicely furnished with light colored maplewood furniture. Boxhall sprawled out on his bunk tiredly, his eyes closing automatically. Leah stood up and spread a blanket over him, acknowledging his sleepy word of thanks.

"Try to sleep, Lara." Lightoller admonished gently.

"You too, Charles. Where is Wilde and Murdoch?"

"I don't know at the moment. They should be in shortly though." he watched her curl up on Wilde's bunk and give him a slow smile.

"Goodnight, Charles."

"Goodnight, Leah." he turned off the light and went on deck.


	6. Chapter 6

The day that the _Carpathia_ was to dock, they were still about 5 miles out, so Leah and Artie went over to the piano in the dining room while all the officers and the captain were having lunch, and they began to play on the piano. At first they were goofing around, then they realized they had attracted an audience. Artie stood up and blushed.

"No, can you sing?" Rostron asked.

"Yeah, some." Artie admitted. "Leah's better at it than me, though."

"Might we hear you sing then?"

Artie glanced at Leah who nodded and began a familiar song on the piano. Both of them quite liked the song from Shrek by Rufus Wainright called Hallelujah and both had sung it in a community talent show a few years ago. Artie remembered the words and opened up his mouth, letting the lyrincs fall like it was second nature to him.

"I've heard there was a secret chord  
That David played, and it pleased the Lord  
But you don't really care for music, do you?  
It goes like this  
The fourth, the fifth  
The minor fall, the major lift  
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

"Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

"Your faith was strong but you needed proof  
You saw her bathing on the roof  
Her beauty  
in the moonlight  
overthrew you  
She tied you  
To a kitchen chair  
She broke your throne,  
she cut your hair  
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

"Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

"Maybe I've been here before  
I know this room, I've walked this floor  
I used to live alone before I knew you  
I've seen your flag on the marble arch  
love is not a victory march  
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

"Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

"There was a time you'd let me know  
What's real and going on below  
But now you never show it to me do you?  
Remember when I moved to you?  
The holy dark was moving too  
And every breath we drew was hallelujah

"Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

"Maybe there's a God above  
And all I ever learned from love  
Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you  
It's not a cry you can hear at night  
It's not somebody who's seen the light  
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

"Hallelujah, Hallelujah..."

Leah let her hands pause on the last note, watching as the officers and captain looked astounded at Artie's power of his voice. Izzy was nowhere to be seen, talking with Rose and alternately sleeping the days away. Artie knew the tragedy had affected her more than she was letting on, and he was betting on an emotional showdown pretty soon.

"That was magnificent, Mr. Webber." Rostron told him. "Now Miss Brun, will you favor us with your singing voice?"

"Ummm..." hesitantly she checked her mind, wondering if there were any songs that were simple and that they might like.

"Please do!" Wilde and Murdoch trumpeted. Artie recognized his friend's discomfort and whispered into her ear. She grinned and nodded, making him grin in return as he backed away to be with the others.

"This song is an instrumental and it's called Hymn to the Sea where I come from." she played the song, still racking her brain, wondering what she could sing. It took until the end of the song, but she knew that Adele would be her best bet at pleasing the officers and captain. It took her a minute to decide which one she wanted, which was the new Bond movie song, Skyfall.

"This is the end  
Hold your breath and count to ten  
Feel the earth move and then  
Hear my heart burst again  
For this is the end  
I've drowned and dreamt this moment  
So overdue, I owe them  
Swept away, I'm stolen

"Let the sky fall, when it crumbles  
We will stand tall  
And face it all together  
Let the sky fall, when it crumbles  
We will stand tall  
And face it all together  
At sky fall  
At sky fall

"Skyfall is where we start  
A thousand miles and poles apart  
Where worlds collide and days are dark  
You may have my number, You can take my name  
But you'll never have my heart  
Let the sky fall, when it crumbles  
We will stand tall  
And face it all together  
Let the sky fall, when it crumbles  
We will stand tall  
And face it all together  
At sky fall

"Where you go I go  
What you see I see  
I know I'd never be me without the security  
Of your loving arms keeping me from harm  
Put your hand in my hand and we'll stand

"Let the sky fall, when it crumbles  
We will stand tall  
And face it all together  
Let the sky fall, when it crumbles  
We will stand tall  
And face it all together  
At sky fall

"Let the sky fall  
We will stand tall  
At sky falls  
Ooooo..."

A round of applause startled her from her singing. Even Artie was looking impressed by her and that was really something. Leah flushed pink and then closed the shelf over the piano keys with a little grin. Rostron looked into her eyes deeply, telling her that she was really something, a fine singer and would hit the big time soon.

"I thank you sir, but I have all I want already," she said modestly. "even if I had to use some extreme measures with a few of them." Moody and Wilde exchanged slight embarrassed grins with each other.

"Ah yes, Mr. Moody and Mr. Wilde here told me of your methods to make sure they left the ship," Rostron's eyes sparkled. "Very daring, Ms. Brun."

"All the officers matter to me, sir. I would not forgive myself if they hadn't made it." she stood up from the piano bench as Wilde came up to her.

"You're a rare soul, Ms. Brun." intrigued and mystified, Rostron was about to ask her more questions when an officer on duty told him that they were fast approaching the pier. The captain excused himself and his officers, making arrangements to drop off the lifeboats and get moored in the Cunard pier.

"Come on now," Wilde took her by the hand gently. "we best get ready to disembark."

"What's there to get ready?" she remarked as they left the dining room with Artie in tow. "We're refugees from that disaster, remember?"

"Even so. I've gotten word that the White Star Line is putting us up in the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. A hearing is to be held about all this."

"I hope I'm not needed about this."

"You might need to testify about how you saved Murdoch's, mine, and Mr. Moody's lives, that's all."

"What of Joseph?" Leah leaned on the railing, her hands dangling over the side aimlessly as she ignored the cold.

"He still looks ill but he says he'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"No, but nobody can boss Joe around but himself." Wilde pushed back his hat brim as the night fell around them. Artie went to fetch Izzy, then returned with his girlfriend and Rose. "Ready to disembark?"

"I think so." Izzy gave him a small smile.

"Yes indeed," Rose pulled her blanket over her red hair and watched the unloading of the lifeboats stoically. "I'm heading out of here-I never could stand New York much."

"Where will you go?"

"California, Mr. Wilde. It's warmer there and I want to make pictures."

"That's a tough business to break into. Perhaps you might model a bit first, get your name out there?" he suggested kindly.

"Not a bad idea, Mr. Wilde," she agreed. "I'll make something of myself."

"Good for you," Izzy spoke firmly. "live those dreams."

Leah felt a brightness in her eyes, like someone was looking into them with a penlight and interrogating her in a high pitched reedy voice. Spots flashed before her eyes like she'd been blinded, but it was nighttime. The brightness faded away to surroundings done completely in white and an analog clock on one wall. People in white outfits went by, shouting things that she couldn't hear properly, like she was listening through foam insulation.

"Leah?" Wilde inquired, looking mildly concerned. She blinked and looked up, happy to see it was dark outside and there were no lights flashing in her eyes. "All right?"

"Yeah, fine." she quickly said and realized they were already pulling into the pier. "I'll be right back."

Her friends looked after her with bewildered looks on their faces.

"Captain Rostron?" she knocked on the door to the bridge, knowing she wasn't allowed in. The captain opened up the door and invited her into the chart room so they could keep warm. "I wanted to say thank you sir, for everything you've done for us."

He gave her a smile. "No thanks are necessary, Ms. Brun. I do my duty."

"Even so, I want you to have something to remember me by," Leah reached up and undid the clasp on her necklace, taking off the silver treble clef pendant and handing it to him. Reattaching the necklace chain, she saw that Rostron was actually quite moved by her offering to him. "You're a hero, sir."

"Oh-" he was about to refute what she said when his voice was choked off. Leah smiled as he kissed the back of her hand gallantly.

"Even if you don't consider yourself a hero, sir, you are one to me." she spoke quietly so that Bisset didn't overhear them. "You saved my life and I'll always be grateful."

Rostron's eyes shone as he smiled, sweeping her up in a tight hug, pecking her cheek. Leah returned the gesture in the same manner before drawing apart.

"God bless, Ms. Brun. May he look after you and keep you safe." was all he could manage to say.

"You too, sir. I wish you all the happiness in the universe." they reluctantly departed.

Lining up to disembark the ship, Artie and Izzy joined hands and descended the gangplank amid the flashbulbs of the photographers and media as they bayed for stories of the disaster. Ignoring them completely, they said goodbye to Rose who immediately went to the train station. She had some money in the overcoat Cal stuffed her in, so she bought a one way ticket to California right away. The sooner the better, as all knew that Cal and Ruth would be out and about, so her leaving ensured her chances of not bumping into anyone she knew previously. Under the surname Dawson, she would not be identified and given away. Rose had waited until the last minute on the ship to give out her name, knowing that since Cal had confirmation of her death, he wouldn't be combing the lists now.

"Ready?" Artie and Izzy went to the hotel and checked into a room, still ignoring the media.

Leah clutched at Wilde's hand. He was at the left, Lightoller was on the right, Murdoch was in front of them, and the juniors clustered behind them, they left the _Carpathia_ and took a few cabs out to the hotel.

The junior officers took up two rooms and the senior officers plus Leah took up only 1 due to overbooking. She sighed in relief as she sank onto the comfortable bed, taking off her shoes and rubbing her feet as the officers filed in.

"Come on then, Will," Lightoller was saying. "you'd best send a wire to Ada soon and let her know you're all right."

"I'll be doing that in a few minutes, Charles," Murdoch replied. "make sure that your missus knows you're OK as well."

Leah watched as Wilde sat down next to her and pecked her forehead. "Already wired my sister who's taking care of my children. They know their daddy is safe." she grinned and took his hands.

"I'm glad. My folks all know I'm safe."

"Well, I'm all done in." Lightoller yawned loudly and flopped onto the bed for Leah's benefit, who giggled.

"Me as well." Murdoch pulled off his shoes.

"Will, when you're overtired, you snore." Wilde teased. "Charles, you managed to whistle through your nose as you sleep."

"I do not!" he mock-protested. "You talk in your sleep!"

"I don't snore, I hope!" Leah laughed as Wilde tickled her in her sides.

"You're the only one who doesn't." Murdoch told her, pushing Lightoller back on his bed when the latter tried to sneak up on him.

"Oh. Good." she folded her arms and stuck her nose up in the air, prompting laughter from the officers.


	7. Chapter 7

APRIL 20, 1912

"...so I was telling Artie about the Ferrari Scaglietti and how it was garbage and he started rabbiting on about the 458 and the Ferrari Enzo for a bit..." Leah's voice came through the thin wall separating the three friends from Murdoch, Lightoller, Wilde, and Moody.

"What are they on about?" Murdoch and Wilde sat down at the wall and put their ears up to it, Moody and Lightoller doing the same.

"Sure, but you must have some cars that you both like." Izzy sounded.

"We both like the new Fusion and the Nissan GTR but when are we ever going to get the chance to drive a supercar?" Artie spoke up. "The new Fusion was so great and you could see the Aston Martin influence on it."

"So it's a hybrid American/British car now?"

"Yeah, Iz. I want a tax deduction on that!" Artie chirped. The officers looked at each other and they wondered what the others were talking about.

"What's your dream cars to drive?"

"Izzy, I know for sure that I want an MX5," the officers heard a noise that sounded like Leah was relaxing on her bed. "they're great little sportscars. Art?"

"Caddy ATS! They're fun and I love Caddies!"

"I could have told you that, Artie!"

"Name as many Ferraris as you can, Leah." Artie challenged her.

"Scaglietti, California, Enzo, F430, F360 Modena Spyder, 599, and the newer 458." she sounded bored.

"Good enough for me. I'm going shopping now. Come on, Art. Leah, you coming?"

"Nah. I need some sleep."

"True. You don't look good. We'll be back." the door slammed shut and the officers glanced at each other.

"What was that all about? Driving? Ferrari?" Moody stood up and took his hat off, having just come back from buying a few shirts and pants. Lightoller sat down in an armchair and looked befuddled himself as Murdoch stood up and started to pace. Wilde leaned against a dresser and folded his arms, concentrating on what she could have meant.

A knock sounded at their door and Moody admitted Leah into the room with a grin that she returned. The officers had to agree that she really didn't look very well at all. Leah's face had lost some color to it, she seemed a bit slimmer than usual, and her eyes had lost some of the mirthful sparkle she had previously.

"Leah, is something the matter? Your cut acting up again?" Murdoch took her arm to look at the cut, which prompted a grunt of pain from her. She sat down with him and they looked at her injury, which had no signs of infection at all.

"So what is it?" Moody looked as well. "Are you sick?"

"Yes," Leah said without hesitation. Her attack on the deck of the _Carpathia_ had left her feeling weak and completely clueless about what was going on with her. "I don't know what's wrong with me, but I do know it's going to end soon."

"How can you know that?"

"It's instinct, Charles."

"You're talking rubbish," Wilde interjected. "if you're ill, then you should be in bed."

"I'm not feverish, Henry."

"Then sit on the bed. Make me happy." she heaved a sigh like he'd asked her to move a skyscraper and did as he asked. "Wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Shut up." Lightoller put her shawl over her shoulders as he sat down beside her.

"I think it's time you all know the truth about me." she decided, tossing back her hair and shifting her gaze to everyone in the room. "You'll find it hard to believe."

"Try us." Murdoch sat down in an armchair he pulled up as Wilde sat down on the other side of Leah. Moody pulled up a chair as well. All of them had curious looks on their faces as Moody faced the chair backwards and straddled it, putting his arms on the chairback and pillowing his chin on his folded arms.

"OK then," Leah cleared her throat. "I was born on March 14th, 1983, almost 73 years after the Titanic sank. Hear me out," she added, seeing Lightoller opening up his mouth. "I know a lot about each one of you."

"What about me then?"

"Will, you, Henry, and Moody didn't make it off the ship. You 3 drowned." now it was their turns to have their complexions pale up suddenly. "I knew it and I was determined to save you all."

"If we didn't survive, how are we here right now?"

"Because this isn't real, Charles. You survived so that's real enough. I know you better than you know yourself."

"Tell me then what you know about me." he challenged now, thinking that she wouldn't know much about him personally. Wilde and Moody looked pensively at her as Murdoch said nothing.

"I'll tell you some things. You have two little boys, Roger and Trevor. You love the Oceanic ship the best, you suffered malaria on two separate instances, you worked the African Mail Service run for a bit, you went goldhunting in Canada..." Lightoller looked into her keen eyes and saw that she was speaking the truth about him. Startled, he saw that she was completely serious and tried to hide his nervousness.

"What else can you say about me? My future?"

Leah saw a rare chance to play gypsy fortune teller. "Give me your hands." he did so. Leah pressed them together in hers, bringing their hands up level to their noses. "You will have 3 more children, Charles. There will be a war and you will be called from home to serve in the Royal navy. You will be decorated for your services by the king."

"Go on. There must be some drawbacks in there." Lightoller ventured, staring even more deeply into her eyes.

"There are, but I am not saying anything about them. I don't wish to voice unpleasantness." she folded his hands and brought them down to his lap, releasing her grip gently. "You will have a long and happy life, as will Boxhall and Pitman."

"And Harold?"

"He'll be ill later in life," was all Leah would say. "now, I tell you I come from a time where it is 100 years since the Titanic sank and my friends and I are from there."

"All right," Murdoch decided to play along. "what's it like in your time?"

"Humoring me, aren't you?" Leah gave him an exasperated glance when she gasped, suddenly feeling like she wasn't able to breathe.

A person in surgical scrubs loomed over her now, doing something that she couldn't see. "There now, that feels better, doesn't it?" a clear plastic mask was put over her mouth and nose and she breathed in deeply, inhaling a chemical that made her head spin. What was going on? She remembered talking to the officers in the hotel room, but now she was obviously in a hospital. Pale blue dividing curtains rasped going along their tracks, blocking out the harsh fluorescent lights from other places. Everything went blurry in her vision and Leah's lolling head was grasped and centered on a flat pillow as the mask was anchored by elastic straps around her ears.

"Cor, that was scary, mate."

"Indeed it was." Murdoch's Scottish voice sounded. "Poor thing."

"See the doctor out?" Wilde asked as he shut the door to the bathroom.

"Yes, but he doesn't have much to say." Lightoller's Lancashire accent drifted to her ears. Slitting open her eyes, Leah saw that she was lying supine on a bed with Moody sitting right beside her. Murdoch and Wilde were conferring with Lightoller, who was still a bit shell-shocked from the predictions that Leah had made about him earlier. The three talked quietly as not to disturb her, then they went out the door, giving Moody instructions to look after her.

Oddly a thought came to Leah's mind that she was Snow White and one of the dwarves was stationed on guard duty at her side. Moody would be Happy, as he was always chirpy cheerful.

"James?" he jumped as Leah opened up her eyes and sat up.

"Finally awake," Moody noted with a shaky grin. "you threw quite a scare into us."

"What happened?"

"We don't really know. You looked like you were about to tell Charles more of his future, then you came over all queer. It was really frightening as you stopped breathing. It's fortunate for us there was a doctor on this floor!" he chuckled nervously. "He got you breathing again and told us to keep you in bed."

"For how long?"

"Until he comes to examine you tomorrow morning."

"I don't know if I've got that long," she muttered. "James, where's the others?"

"They had to go down to the hearing. Charles will be up in a little while."

"Oh, OK. Can he wake me up when he gets in here? I want to talk to him."

"Sure." Moody brushed aside her hair from her eyes as she lay back down. Leah put her arms at her waist, folding them down. Moody picked up a book and tried to read, still shaken from what he had witnessed. The other officers had tried to get out of the inquiry, but the senator wanted them down immediately.

Leah used the time wisely, thinking about what she had seen, putting the pieces together in her mind. Being a serious bookworm for all of her life, she would eagerly devour any book she could get her hands on. One genre she had always avoided because it did not fit in with her perception of the universe. The paranormal was a taboo subject in her family, having been brought up strictly to not believe in anything the paranormal encompassed. It was all guesswork, her father had told her once. It was a sideline for people who had no lives and spent good money and time to fool others into believing what was simply fakery.

Now she wasn't so sure. Izzy believed in the paranormal and had once told Leah about astral projection, where the spirit escapes the body in times of trauma or trouble, or even during sleep. The flashes she had was of her real life and she knew she had been involved in an accident of some sort. She supposed she was on the _Titanic_ as a result of her researching the ship and its occupants in the week of the centennial anniversary.

A few moments later, Moody kissed her goodbye, thinking she was still sleeping. Leah did not reply, knowing that the officer would have no memory of her at all. It seemed very wrong to her that everyone she had befriended, the officers and Rostron, would have no memory of her, but then again it was just a dream or hallucination.

Lightoller came in then after a quiet talk with Moody. Wilde and Murdoch were still down at the hearing, being grilled from the senator about several things. The second officer came into the bedroom and sat down in the chair that Moody had vacated, his head still spinning from earlier events. Before Leah suffered her strange fit, she had stated several true things about him that he had not told anyone. Even Murdoch didn't know about his malaria spells.

"Leah?" he put one hand on hers. "You wanted to talk to me?" her fit had baffled the doctor, who had no clue on what to do. The young woman exhaled slowly and opened up her eyes, her gaze falling on Lightoller.

"Charles," she sat up. "I'll be frank. I'm dying." to all outward appearances it was true. Leah knew her time in the dream was being limited by the moment, so she opted for a little artistic embellishment.

Lightoller went pale and he bowed his head for a moment. When he looked back up, his gaze was steady. "Should I call Henry?"

"No. I want you." Leah hoped she'd leave an impression on him.

"I can't pull you back from the brink." Lightoller warned her as she grew even paler.

"I hope you remember me." she sang a brief bit of Adele's song Someone Like You and he marveled at her voice as it rang pure and clear.

"What are you dying from exactly?"

Leah thought and wildly improvised. "I've had chronic lung disease for a few years and my lungs are failing now. Do remember me to Captain Rostron."

"I will," he promised. "Leah, do you think we'll ever meet again?"

"I hope so, Charles." the stoic officer's face changed into distress as he watched her breathing taper off and he picked up one of her hands, grasping it tightly. Leah squeezed it back once, then it lay limp in his hands. Lightoller looked up at her to discover she was now dead. Blue eyes spilling over, he put down her hand and cried.

EPILOGUE

Leah opened up her eyes with a sigh, finding that the mask had been removed and she had been put on a nasal cannula. A dull pinging sound was driving her crazy and she turned her head to find it was her heart monitor. Not knowing what the numbers meant, she tried to call back the dream of Titanic, but found she was unable to. A door opened and closed, and her doctor entered the recovery room.

"You sure took your sweet time to wake up," he greeted her with a smirk. "how do you feel now?"

"Not bad," her voice rasped and her doctor gave her a drink. "I don't remember much."

"You were involved in a minor car accident. You got a few cuts and scrapes, though they had to drain some fluid out of your lung cavity."

"Right." she never understood medical jargon, just acknowledged that she was getting better. "Can I still go on my flight to England in 3 days?"

Her doctor laughed. "You've been recovering really well and there's no sign of fluid buildup, so continue on like you are and I think you'll be fine."

"Yay." her doctor chucked her on the chin playfully as he giggled.


	8. Chapter 8

EPILOGUE

APRIL 15, 2012

Leah Brun walked through a graveyard, looking for a specific tomb. She held two carnations in her hand, one was red and the other was green. The young woman finally found a tomb made out of white limestone and knelt beside it, careful not to smudge up her blue jeans.

An attached bed to the white tomb was filled with gray gravel and on the sun-warmed surface, Leah put both the flowers down and put her left hand on the stone. On its surface there was etched a laurel wreath and a crucifix, Captain Rostron's name, and his wife's name. Leah raked her hand over the pitted surface, pleased to see that someone had cleaned up the stone from its previous disreputable state. The fine grain limestone felt like sandpaper to her but she didn't care.

"Captain Rostron," she sighed. "I met you in a dream and it felt so real. You've inspired me, sir. I've joined the American navy."

Hearing a stick crack nearby when she knew nobody was around, Leah stood up and turned towards the noise. At first she didn't see anything, but when she turned back, she saw a rabbit hopping around.

"Aw, I love rabbits." her family had several rabbits and she grew up as what her father called a rabbit-wrangler. She had been very adept at catching the lagomorphs and through the years, her skill had not suffered at all. Leah made one dive into the shrubbery and came out holding an agouti colored rabbit in her arms.

"There you go, pal. See what you think of that." putting the rabbit on the gravel bed of the tomb, Leah plucked some clover nearby and fed it to the animal, who quickly mowed it down, hardly even swallowing. Giggling, Leah watched as the rabbit observed her calmly for a moment and bounded away.

"Buh bye!" standing up again, Leah brushed out her long sleeved purple top and zipped up her leather jacket. "Goodbye, Mr. and Mrs. Rostron. God bless."

Walking back to her rental car, Leah heard another stick crack but ignored it, using the remote to unlock the Jaguar. A low breeze tickled her neck and her shoulder-length hair moved gently in the sudden wind. A voice seemed to whisper her name and she turned around.

"What the-" a white figure swept around her and settled a few feet away from her and the car. The whiteness materialized into the ghostly apparition of Captain Rostron. "Captain Rostron, sir?" the apparition did not speak, but nodded with a smile. "You were in my dream..." in response to that, Rostron's ghost stepped towards her and extended a hand. Looking down into it, Leah gasped. The pendant she'd given him when she'd disembarked the _Carpathia_ rested in his hand. "But it was a dream, sir." the ghost inclined his head to one side, wordlessly asking if she really believed that. Leah mirrored him, eyes narrowing slightly in question.

"Some things are better left unknown, I suppose," she muttered. Rostron's apparition looked like he agreed with her. Then he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek affectionately. Leah swore she could hear a voice telling her he would always be with her, which brought tears to her eyes. Rostron smiled at her and nodded, indicating that she should go.

"Thank you, sir." Leah wiped off a tear that was threatening to fall as Rostron gave her one last affectionate smile and vanished.

Once inside the Jaguar, Leah saw on the passenger seat a piece of paper that hadn't been there before. She picked it up before starting the car and gave it a glance.

"ROSTRON AND THE UNKNOWN WOMAN," the paper read. "the commodore, who had recently passed away, was interred in his RNR uniform and a little trinket given to him by one of the survivors of the Titanic. Although the commodore had been rewarded generously by several others, he kept a small pendant of a treble clef on his person all the time. The woman who gave it to him is unknown, though Rostron had heard almost 6 days after the Titanic disaster the woman died of disease. That news shocked the commodore and he spent several days grieving. Rostron did not say anything about the woman to his wife, other than to tell her that the lady had a beautiful voice and it was a shame that she had died so prematurely. Keeping with her husband's wishes, Lady Rostron buried her husband with the pendant treble staff in his pocket."

Leah put the paper in her bag as she looked out over the graveyard one last time. Starting up the car, she saw Rostron's figure again, giving her a wave goodbye. She returned it and drove out of the parking lot.

Black low heeled boots crunched on the tarmac at Mortlake Crematorium as the sun rose high overhead. Birds chirped merrily and chipmunks chattered away as Leah stopped at the Garden of Rememberance where she knew Lightoller had his remains scattered. She set a blue carnation against a tree trunk and leaned against it for a long moment. Five minutes later, her cell phone rang and trying to fish it out of her pocket, she dropped it and felt a sharp pain as she picked it up and slid the bar to accept the call.

"Oh, damnit!" a dark ribbon of blood beaded up as she watched, realizing she had cut her hand on the sharp stone corner of the garden. "What?"

"Hey, Leah!"

"Art, what the hell do you want? This is an international call, it's costing me money!"

"Where are you?"

"In Britain for the Titanic centennial."

"Going to Top Gear afterwards?"

"Yes. Just to make you jealous."

"You bitch!" he said jokingly.

"Back at you."

"I will say this-the Subaru cars suck!"

"THEY DO NOT!" it was a running argument between the two. Leah loved the Legacy and Impreza sedans and Artie insisted among other things that they had no soul.

"They do!"

"Do you really want to go there? I'll ask the TG crew and see what they think. Subarus all the way!" she hung up before Artie could get in a last word. "Personally I would have gone for a Ferrari Scaglietti. It's just fun to say!"

Leah put her small clutch purse down and pulled out a bandage. Clumsily she removed the packaging but could not wind it around the heel of her hand successfully. A hand appeared on top of hers and tended to her wound, bandaging it well. Leah looked over to thank who it was, then her jaw fell open.

Lightoller was there, as ghostly as Rostron was. He gave her a smile but didn't speak.

"Oh god, I think I'm high or something." the entire day had an unreal quality about it.

Her hand taken care of, Lightoller put his hand up to one side of her face and looking into her eyes, he studied her for a long moment. She sighed and blinked lazily. The sailor appraised her top to bottom and gave her a kindly look as he started to dematerialize from sight.

"Goodbye, Charles." she called, a slight lump in her throat.

Returning to the car, Leah knew she'd made the right decision on joining the navy and resolved to be like Rostron and Lightoller. She was sick of waiting for adventure, now it was time for her to go and make her own.

THE END


End file.
